O'side woman charged with leaving the scene of two accidents

Police arrested Donna Pugliese, 48, of Oceanside and charged her with leaving the scenes of two accidents in Island Park on Dec. 25.

According to detectives, Pugliese was traveling east on Warwick Rd., turning southbound onto Long Beach Rd. in a 2003 Mercedes Benz when she struck a 2009 Nissan Maxima that had been traveling north on Long Beach Rd. head on. Police said Pugliese left the scene of the accident, and the driver of the Nissan called 911 and followed her. Pugliese hit the passenger side of the Nissan, then the rear of the car, then left the scene of the accident a second time.

Police said they received a second 911 call and responded to an accident on Austin Blvd./Florida Ave. ten minutes later. When they arrived, police said they found a 1998 Jeep in the left lane of northbound traffic on Austin Blvd. with extensive rear end damage. Police said the driver was able to get out of the car, but his son, 8, was trapped inside. The Island Park Fire Department was able to remove him from the car. Police later found Pugliese's car abandoned in the middle of Florida Ave. in North Long Beach, with extensive front-end damage and the keys still in the ignition.

The two victims from the Jeep, both of whom had lost consciousness briefly, were transported to the hospital by Nassau County police and the Island Park fire department ambulances. Police said the driver complained of severe pain to his head and back, and his son complained of severe pain to his head and abdomen. He also had a large contusion on his forehead. Both were treated and released.

Police arrested Pugliese at 1:02 p.m. and she received medical treatment for a sprained wrist and a laceration on her lip. She was charged with assault, criminal mischief, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury. Pugliese was arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Dec. 26.