I hope everyone is having an awesome Labor Day weekend - enjoying all those clubs, parties, and b-b-ques! I witnessed a little something last night that I'd like to share with everyone.For those of you familiar with Eastern Long Island, this took place westbound on Sunrise Hwy. just past the bridged overpass to County Rd. 51 just beyond the Manorville exit.

It was 3:08 am and I had just left Hampton Bays and was boogeying my butt home after having a really nice night out. No drinking or partying for me, just a nice quiet evening spent with my honey, Irish. Anyhoo, as I was cruising along, my cell phone received a text message so I quickly opened my phone to see who it was from when all of a sudden I heard screeching tires in front of me. I immediately hit the brakes as I continued to watch a red Hyundai sedan swerve across both lanes of traffic, fishtail in the middle of the highway, then slide across both lanes of traffic onto the side of the road and slide down into the woods where it finally hit a tree which collapsed on top of the vehicle. My adrenaline was pumping.

I dialed 911 and reported what I had seen to the dispatcher and when they asked if anyone was hurt my response was "Hey Lady, look, I'm a single, 36 year old, white, female driving alone in my car at 3am. on a holiday weekend. Do you honestly think I'm going to get out of my car and risk my own life trying to find out?!" To which she chuckled and agreed with my previous statement then told me she was dispatching the police to the scene.

Inside my car, which I parked on the median, I waited for the police to show up and I kept an eye out on the Hyundai for any movement. The driver kept trying to put it in reverse to get out of the ditch he'd gotten himself into but it just wasn't happening. I began to wonder how many people were in the car and if any of them were seriously injured. I wondered if there were children in the car. Perhaps a family heading back to the city after spending the holiday weekend in the Hamptons. I'm not the bravest soul when it comes to blood and guts but regardless of that fact, I was more concerned for my own safety at the time.

Two passing vehicles pulled over just beyond the accident. The passengers go out, walked over to the Hyundai as if to say "Yup, that's a car in those woods." and then they all promptly got back into their cars and drove away. I opened my passenger side window less than halfway in case they wanted to talk to me but they didn't. I left it open to see if I could hear anything from the Hyundai when all of a sudden I heard footsteps crunching along the grass.

I saw a man about my age walking out from the wreck and asked if he was alright. I told him I had called the police. As he came closer it became very apparent what had happened. He was drunk. I could smell the alcohol with every word he said. Then I started to become very angry at this complete stranger. His name was Steve. He was on his way to Bayshore to go pick up his wife Christine. He is a New York City cop. He asked me "How did this happen?"

He managed to walk away with a simple superficial cut on his hand but his car was totalled. The police arrived and I filled out a report that I had witnessed the accident. They knew he was drunk. I didn't stick around to see anymore. I don't know if they gave him a DWI or not. I was so angry at this man. This man who should have known better than to do what he had done. To think that he was shoving his credentials down the throats of the policemen who came to help his sorry drunk ass. I really hope they threw the book at him but I'll never know.

Here are 2 pics of his car:





I guess the moral to the story is just be careful when you're out partying on those holidays. I feel very fortunate that no was was injured, myself included. Drinking and driving simply do not mix. Even if you are not the one who is driving while intoxicated, you need to remember that there is always someone on the road who is. Be safe.