A police officer on Long Island was injured early Saturday morning when his patrol car was rear-ended by a van driven by a man who was subsequently charged with driving while intoxicated.
The officer, whose identity wasn't disclosed by investigators, had stopped to assist a motorist whose vehicle was burning at about 3:55 a.m. on the Sunrise Highway in Brookhaven when the crash occurred.
Carlos Morocho, the driver of the van, fled on foot, but was quickly captured, Suffolk County police said.
The injured officer, a nine-year veteran of the force, was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital. His injured weren't live-threatening, investigators said.
In addition to DWI, Morocho, 27, faces charges that include leaving the scene of an incident, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and false personation.
There was no indication Morocho had a lawyer who could comment on the charges.
