Cops: Riverhead woman seriously injured in crash involving drunken driver

Update: Suffolk County police said Tuesday that Ms. Hynds has died from her injuries.

A Riverhead woman was critically injured in an early morning crash involving an alleged drunken driver, according to Suffolk County police.

The crash, which claimed the life of a Central Islip man, occurred on eastbound Sunrise Highway nears Exit 50 in Sayville shortly before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

Police identified the Riverhead woman as 42-year-old Lisa Hynds and the victim who died as 46-year-old Miguel Berdecia.

Police have charged Daniel Lazzaro, 37, of Centereach with driving while intoxicated in the chain-reaction crash.

The incident began when the Mr. Berdecia was driving a 2011 Toyota Yaris eastbound on Sunrise Highway and the vehicle struck the center median and then the guardrail on the right lane. The Toyota ended up disabled facing north while sideways in the center lane. Police said Ms. Hynds exited the Toyota, which was then struck in the driver’s side by an eastbound 2011 Jeep Liberty driven by Mr. Lazzaro.

The impact caused the Toyota to strike Ms. Hynds.

Mr. Berdecia was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the county medical examiner’s office. Ms. Hynds was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital and remains in critical condition.

Mr. Lazzaro was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue for treatment of injuries that were not life threatening, police said. He is set to be arraigned at a later date.