What Happened
A driver was arrested on a DWI charge on Long Island on Sunday, August 16, 2026, according to initial incident records. The arresting agency, exact location, driver’s name and age, and BAC have not yet been released by police.
The incident is classified as major severity. No further details — road name, direction of travel, number of vehicles, or whether any other parties were injured — have been confirmed by an official source as of this report’s publication.
Long Island Traffic will update this article as police release the arrest report, charges, and arraignment information.
What This DWI Charge Means
New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 sets three tiers of impaired-driving offenses. A DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired) charge under § 1192.1 applies at a BAC below 0.08 and is a traffic infraction on a first offense, carrying fines of $300–$500 and a 90-day license suspension. A standard DWI under § 1192.2 requires a BAC of 0.08 or higher and is a misdemeanor on a first offense, with fines of $500–$1,000, a minimum six-month license revocation, and up to one year in jail. An Aggravated DWI under § 1192.2-a applies at a BAC of 0.18 or higher and carries fines of $1,000–$2,500 and a minimum one-year revocation on a first offense.
A second DWI conviction within 10 years is an E felony under § 1193, with fines up to $5,000 and up to four years in prison. New York also mandates ignition interlock device installation for any DWI or Aggravated DWI conviction, even on a first offense, under Leandra’s Law. A driver who refuses a chemical test under § 1194 faces an automatic one-year license revocation and a $500 civil penalty on a first refusal — separate from and in addition to any criminal penalties — and that refusal can be used as evidence in court.
Case Status & Updates
The charge filed in this case is an accusation. The driver is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The case is expected to be arraigned at the applicable Nassau or Suffolk County district court and proceed through the Long Island criminal court system.
Long Island Traffic tracks DWI arrests through arraignment, plea, and sentencing and updates each report as those records become public. Check back on this page for the driver’s name, charge tier, arraignment date, and case outcome.