Police

Cops: Riverhead man arrested after high-speed pursuit

A Riverhead man driving under the influence led police on a high-speed pursuit on the Long Island Expressway Monday night and was eventually arrested without incident after leaving the vehicle in front of a Calverton home, according to Riverhead Town police.

Riverhead police received a call at 8:19 p.m. from Suffolk County police alerting them to a vehicle pursuit that was entering Riverhead Town jurisdiction. The driver of a black Ford Focus was traveling over 100 mph and refused to stop, police said. Suffolk police said the driver was headed eastbound on the LIE approaching exit 71.

The driver of the car, George Demetriades, 45, exited the highway onto Route 25 at exit 72 and Suffolk police terminated the pursuit near Mill Road, police said. Officers from both departments canvassed the area and Riverhead police located the vehicle in front of a River Road home in Lakewood Park.

Police said Mr. Demetriades, who lives on East 2nd Street, was walking away from the car and he was taken into custody, police said. He was turned over to Suffolk police for processing.

Suffolk police said Mr. Demetriades had been stopped for speeding by a highway patrol officer near exit 59 in Ronkonkoma at about 8 p.m. The officer who stopped him noticed Mr. Demetriades showed signs of intoxication. The officer began a field sobriety test, at which point Mr. Demetriades ran back into his car and took off eastbound on the LIE. Another highway patrol officer spotted the car two exits later and the pursuit continued into Riverhead.

Suffolk police charged Mr. Demetriades with DWI, unlawful fleeing of a police officer and reckless driving.

He will be held at the Sixth Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip Tuesday, police said. He will be returned to Riverhead police at a later date to face a third-degree menacing charge from a separate incident, police said.