By Jeff Lipton
At one point during the 17-minute pursuit, the driver, identified as Anthony J. Rosalia, 40, of 129th Street in College Point, Queens, tried to run a police car off the road and apparently intentionally knocked the utility pole down with the intention of stopping patrol cars from tailing him, investigators said. Involved in the chase were a total of about 25 patrol cars from the Five Towns, Lynbrook, Malverne, Rockville Centre and Hempstead.
The incident began at about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 11, when the suspect crashed into a car and pushed it into a livery cab on Rockaway Boulevard in Queens. As the drivers of the two cars prepared to exchange accident information with the truck driver, Rosalia plowed the huge rig he was driving past both cars, according to Detective Sgt. Ronald Nesbitt of the Fourth Squad.
"He just pushed them out of the way," said Nesbitt. "He just squeezed through them and made a nice little path for himself, and from there it was off to the races."
One of the accident victims followed him into the Five Towns and police were notified.
The suspect then continued into the Five Towns, barreling down Rockaway Turnpike in North Lawrence before making a left onto Peninsula Boulevard. When he reached Mill Road in Hewlett, he struck a few parked cars, police said. Fourth Precinct police received reports of a suspected drunken driver causing havoc with a tractor-trailer.
"We don't know what we were up against with this guy, who was driving like a raving lunatic," said Nesbitt.
When police caught up to him on Mill Road near Jadwin Place in Valley Stream, the driver refused repeated orders from police to stop. He then drove through Mill Pond Park, exited it and turned south on Mill Road, police said. Reaching top speeds of 40 MPH, Rosalia then made a left turn onto Peninsula Boulevard and drove north in the southbound lanes. He then moved back into the southbound lanes, driving through Lynbrook and Rockville Centre with police in hot pursuit.
Meanwhile, several of the patrol cars were strategically blocking intersections to clear other cars from getting in the path of the rampaging tractor-trailer, Nesbitt said. Police said they were careful not to get in front of the rig, which weighs roughly 18,000 pounds, and had to wait until the suspect made a mistake.
In an apparent attempt to get police off his tail, he intentionally crashed into a LIPA pole at W. Graham Street in Hempstead, Nesbitt said. The pole came crashing down within yards of patrol cars, officials said. Slamming into the LIPA pole, the tractor-trailer knocked out power to the surrounding area including to Hempstead High School.
"It looked like he intentionally knocked the pole down so that it would crash on top of pursuing police cars behind him," Nesbitt said.
The crash disabled the tractor-trailer, which traveled about another 100 yards before it conked out, and police were able to close in and make the arrest. Police said a search of the vehicle - a 1999 Mack truck that was rented from Ryder with Pennsylvania license plates - uncovered crack pipes and crack-cocaine. Nesbitt said the suspect was probably fleeing from police because he was in possession of drugs.
Police added that it was fortunate the incident occurred in the early morning hours when hardly anyone was on the road or it could have ended with injuries to several victims.
Police said Rosalia was on a three-day crack cocaine binge. He was charged with criminal mischief, two counts of reckless endangerment, driving while intoxicated, possession of a controlled substance, three counts of leaving the scene of an auto accident and numerous Vehicle and Traffic Law violations.
He was brought to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow for evaluation and treatment for cuts and bruises and then discharged. He was then taken to Nassau County jail.
Comments about this story? Jlipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
