Cops: Beating outside market leads to assault, drug charges

A homeless man’s attempt to escape the scene where he assaulted his girlfriend in Riverhead Sunday night ended after he drove off the Long Island Expressway and crashed into a cluster of trees, Riverhead Town police said.

Robert Davis, 52, first crashed into another car as he sped onto Route 58 from the Best Yet parking lot, moments after assaulting his girlfriend in front of the grocery store, police said. Driving at a slow rate of speed due to a flat tire on his red 1992 Buick sedan, Mr. Davis made it to the westbound Long Island Expressway, but his car struck a guard rail just west of exit 71 and left the roadway shortly after 7:30 p.m.

Mr. Davis, whose last known address was on Floyd Road in Shirley, was charged with DWI drugs and third-degree assault, police said.

He was airlifted by Suffolk County police helicopter to Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he is still being treated for non-life threatening injuries, police said.

His girlfriend, who is also 52 years old and homeless, was treated and released from Peconic Bay Medical Center for treatment of injuries sustained in the assault, police said.

There were no other injuries in the incident, police said.

Correction: An earlier version of this article said the accident occurred Saturday night. A police press release listed the wrong date.