A Medford man was arrested for driving while intoxicated after police said he drove into a closed construction zone on Sunrise Highway in Brookhaven and crashed into a construction vehicle, rupturing its fuel tank and causing a spill Thursday night.
John Arthur Seeger, 48, was driving a 2026 Hyundai Tucson westbound between Exits 57 and 58 when the vehicle entered the closed construction zone in the right lane at about 11:37 p.m. Aug. 27, according to Suffolk County Police.
Police said the Hyundai struck the driver’s side of an unoccupied construction vehicle and hit its fuel tank, causing fuel to spill onto the roadway.
Six construction workers were at the scene when the crash occurred, but none were injured, police said. Seeger also was not injured.
Suffolk County Highway Patrol, the Selective Fatality Enforcement Team and the Motor Carrier Safety Section responded to investigate. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also responded to assess the fuel leak.
The roadway was closed for approximately four hours while crews cleaned up the spill and police investigated the crash.
Seeger was charged with driving while intoxicated and was issued a traffic ticket for allegedly violating New York’s Move Over Law.
He was scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning at First District Court in Central Islip.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
