Police: Woman arrested for DWI, driving wrong way in Shirley
Authorities say Dema Falah, 50, was driving westbound on Havenwood Drive East and then turned right on the southbound side of William Floyd Parkway traveling the wrong way.
Police say a woman has been arrested for driving the wrong way and hitting multiple vehicles in Shirley.
Authorities say Dema Falah was driving a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee westbound on Havenwood Drive East and then turned right on the southbound side of William Floyd Parkway traveling the wrong way.
The Jeep struck a 2013 Toyota traveling southbound on the William Floyd Parkway that was attempting to make a left turn onto Havenwood Drive East heading eastbound.
Falah then traveled northbound on William Floyd Parkway and struck four vehicles also traveling northbound before crashing the Jeep into the median at 5:47 p.m. Thursday, according to authorities.
Falah allegedly fled the scene on foot southbound before being detained by police.
No one required medical attention. The 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee was impounded for a safety check.
A witness described his frightening encounter with the wrong-way driver moments before.
"There was nowhere to go! I was in bumper to bumper traffic and I saw nothing but headlights coming toward me," described Shirley resident Joseph Brooks.
Falah, 50, of Shirley, was charged with DWI and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident with property damage.
Falah is being held at the Fourth Precinct and was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Friday.
Falah spoke briefly to News 12 following her Central Islip arraignment where she pleaded not guilty. She denied hitting cars and said someone pushed her car into a ditch. She is due back in court February 8.
