MTA Police arrested a Brooklyn man for allegedly driving his SUV while intoxicated onto the tracks of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), causing delays and damage on Sunday afternoon.
Basilio Hidalgo, 40, faces a litany of charges, including driving while intoxicated, third-degree criminal trespassing, and first-degree reckless endangerment.
The incident started, law enforcement sources said, when the allegedly drunk Hidalgo drove his black Honda SUV onto the main line of the LIRR between the Bellerose and Floral Park Stations at around 4:52 p.m. on Dec. 8.
MTAPD officers noticed the stopped vehicle on the tracks. MTA officials said two of the vehicle’s tires became severely damaged, causing front-end damage to the SUV and the tires to go on fire.
The Floral Park Fire Department rushed to the scene and extinguished the tire fires immediately.
Meanwhile, the LIRR suspended service on the Hempstead Branch until around 8:40 p.m. The Ronkonkoma, Oyster Bay and Huntington lines were able to continue with a speed restriction at around 5:30 p.m.
During the delays, MTAPD conducted an on-scene investigation. Detectives determined Hidalgo drove onto the tracks from the grade level, west of the Elmont-UBS Arena station.
Continuing the destruction, which resulted in third rail and other track infrastructure damage, he then drove about half a mile east on the tracks before getting stuck just east of LIRR’s Bellerose Station.
Hidalgo was arrested at the scene and immediately taken into custody, officials said. The investigation remains ongoing.
