By Jason Scheer
According to police officer Vincent Garcia, a representative of the Nassau County Public Information Office, Keith Laurs, 30, of West Babylon got out of his car and got into a verbal altercation with an unidentified man prior to the accident. Garden City police were called to the scene because of the altercation.
As officers arrived, Laurs jumped into his 1998 Ford Explorer and began speeding southbound on Nassau Boulevard.
"He took off so fast, they lost track of him," Garcia said.
Shortly afterward, just before 10 p.m., Laurs passed through a red light at Hempstead Turnpike and struck a 1997 Dodge Avenger driven by Lucas Hadoulis, 35, of Franklin Square. Laurs plowed into the small car, which was heading west, with such force that his car tore it in half, spraying glass, car parts and air-bag debris onto the busy street. The rear half of the Dodge then struck a 1996 Grand Prix, which was in the left turn lane on Hempstead Turnpike. The Explorer wound up upside down with its rear end pressed against a utility pole.
According to Garcia, Laurs remained in critical condition at Nassau University Medical Center Monday night and was being charged with driving while intoxicated. Hadoulis remained in stable condition at Winthrop University Hospital.
The driver of the Grand Prix, Karen Hellman, 24, also of Franklin Square, was able to climb out of her car, having suffered only minor injuries. She was treated and released from Winthrop-University Hospital.
Garcia said all three were lucky to be alive. "It's absolutely incredible, it really is," he said. "To have anybody walk away from that is amazing."
Witnesses said that it appeared that police were aggressively chasing Laurs's vehicle. Other media outlets have also reported that there was a high-speed chase.
Garcia, however, said that wasn't the case. The Garden City officers who responded had lost sight of Laurs and did not engage in a chase. However, they were in such close proximity that when they arrived, just seconds after the accident, it appeared as if there had been a chase.
"In no way, shape or form was there a high speed chase," Garcia said.
The accident is still under investigation.
