What Happened
Evelyn Luna, 34, of Whitestone, Queens, was arrested in the early hours of Sunday, August 16, 2026, after her vehicle became stuck on Long Island Rail Road tracks at the Clinton Avenue grade crossing west of Farmingdale Station, according to News 12 Long Island. MTA Police said the vehicle came to rest on the tracks at approximately 1:48 a.m.
The car did not make contact with any trains, MTA Police confirmed. It was removed from the tracks at approximately 3:03 a.m., one hour and 15 minutes after first getting stuck.
Three Ronkonkoma Branch trains were delayed because of the blocked crossing, per MTA. Regular service on the branch resumed at 3:54 a.m., about two hours and six minutes after the initial call, News 12 Long Island reports.
MTA Police charged Luna with aggravated driving while intoxicated and driving while intoxicated. No injuries were reported.
Location & Road Context
The Clinton Avenue grade crossing sits west of the Farmingdale LIRR Station on the Ronkonkoma Branch, one of the busiest commuter rail lines on Long Island. The Ronkonkoma Branch runs between Penn Station in Manhattan and Ronkonkoma, with Farmingdale as a mid-line stop in Nassau County. Grade crossings — where road traffic intersects active rail lines at ground level — leave vehicles vulnerable to becoming stuck on raised rail beds, particularly at night.
For more incidents near this corridor, see Long Island Traffic’s Farmingdale accident archive.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Luna was charged under two provisions. Driving while intoxicated under New York VTL § 1192.2 applies when a driver’s BAC tests at 0.08 or higher. The aggravated DWI charge under VTL § 1192.2-a applies when BAC reaches 0.18 or higher. MTA Police did not specify Luna’s BAC in their initial release, as reported by News 12 Long Island. The case is expected to proceed through Nassau County district court.
What This DWI Charge Means
New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192 establishes three primary tiers of alcohol-impaired driving offenses. DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired) under § 1192.1 covers BAC between 0.05 and 0.07 and is a traffic infraction rather than a crime. DWI under § 1192.2 is a misdemeanor at BAC 0.08 or higher. Aggravated DWI under § 1192.2-a is also a misdemeanor on a first offense but carries steeper penalties — a fine of $1,000 to $2,500, up to one year in jail, and a mandatory minimum one-year license revocation — because it requires a BAC of 0.18 or higher.
For a first-offense DWI in New York, the standard range is a $500 to $1,000 fine, up to one year in jail, and a minimum six-month license revocation. Both DWI and Aggravated DWI require installation of an ignition interlock device as a condition of any conditional license or post-revocation driving privilege. A second DWI conviction within 10 years escalates to a class E felony.
Drivers who refuse a chemical test under New York’s implied-consent law face an automatic one-year license revocation and a $500 civil penalty on a first refusal, independent of any criminal outcome. That revocation applies even if the underlying DWI charge is later dismissed.
Case Status & Updates
An arrest and criminal charge are accusations. Evelyn Luna is presumed innocent unless convicted in court. Her case is expected to be arraigned at Nassau County District Court and proceed through the Long Island criminal court system.
Long Island Traffic tracks DWI cases from charge through disposition. This report will be updated with arraignment outcomes, pleas, and any sentencing as they enter the public record.