A Brooklyn driver caused major chaos for LIRR commuters on Dec. 8 after allegedly driving his car down the train tracks, delaying or suspending service on multiple branches.
Basilio Hidalgo, 40, drunkenly drove onto the LIRR tracks near the Elmont-UBS Arena station around 5 p.m. and continued down the tracks for half a mile to the Bellerose Station, MTA officials said. The car’s front two tires caught on fire and had to be put out by the local Floral Park Fire Department.
Hidalgo’s alleged actions significantly damaged the tracks, delaying trains on the Ronkonkoma, Port Jefferson, and Oyster Bay branches and suspending service entirely on the Hempstead Branch while an on-scene investigation took place.
Hidalgo was arrested at the scene and taken into police custody. The car was removed from the tracks by 8:30 p.m., and Hempstead Branch service was restored shortly after.
The MTA Police Department is leading the investigation, which is still in its early stages. Responding agencies included the LIRR Fire Marshall, Nassau County Emergency Services, the Floral Park Fire Department, and the Floral Park Police Department.
A version of this story first appeared on Brooklyn Paper’s sister site Long Island Press
