L.B. man hit by alleged drunk driver in Island Park

A 20-year-old Long Beach man walking near Austin Boulevard in Island Park was struck by an SUV on May 28 at about 9 p.m., and police arrested the driver of the vehicle and charged him with driving while intoxicated.

According to an accident report obtained by the Herald, James Mitthauer was walking on California Place at the Austin Boulevard intersection when he was struck by a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee as it traveled east on California with a green light. Mitthauer suffered a broken leg and arm. He was taken to South Nassau Communities Hospital in stable condition, according to Island Park Fire Chief Ed Madden. The driver was not injured, police said.

According to the report, a witness at the scene told police that the victim was “involved in horseplay” in the middle of California when he was struck. Upon further investigation, a spokesman for the Nassau County Police Department said that the driver of the vehicle, 32-year-old Patrick Mullare, of Island Park, was arrested after he was found to be intoxicated with a blood alcohol content greater than the legal limit of .08 percent. The Jeep was impounded by police.

“The kid wasn’t doing anything wrong,” said Mitthauer’s brother, Danny. “He wasn’t horseplaying, he was crossing the street. He just got off the bus from Nassau Community College.” Mitthauer is expected to remain in the hospital for another week following a second round of surgery, his brother said.