Tractor trailer driver arrested for DWI on Long Island Expressway in Brentwood

A loaded tractor trailer swerving on the eastbound Long Island Expressway in Brentwood set off an early-morning police response that could have turned far worse if the truck had crossed into another lane. Suffolk County police said multiple 911 callers reported the vehicle failing to maintain its lane around 7 a.m., leading Highway Patrol officers to intercept the rig before any crash was reported.

Officers located the tractor trailer and determined the driver, Frederic Mejia, 35, of the Bronx, was intoxicated, police said. Mejia was charged with driving while intoxicated and was scheduled to be arraigned the same day at First District Court in Central Islip.

The case carried added weight because the vehicle was not a passenger car but a commercial truck hauling grocery items and weighing about 80,000 pounds. That is the kind of vehicle that can cause catastrophic harm on one of Suffolk County’s busiest commuter corridors, especially during the morning rush when the Long Island Expressway carries heavy traffic past Brentwood and into the county’s central courts and commercial districts.

Because of the truck’s size and cargo, Motor Carrier Safety Section officers also responded to inspect it. Police did not say the tractor trailer struck another vehicle, but the stop underscored how quickly a potentially dangerous lane violation can turn into a major enforcement and safety response when a commercial driver appears impaired.

New York treats commercial drivers under a stricter standard than most motorists, allowing a DWI charge at a .04 blood-alcohol concentration or with other evidence of intoxication. Federal motor-carrier rules also bar drivers from using alcohol, being under the influence, or having any measurable alcohol concentration while on duty or operating a commercial motor vehicle. A violation can trigger an immediate 24-hour out-of-service period.

The arrest also fits a national problem that reaches far beyond Suffolk County. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says about 34 people die in drunk-driving crashes in the United States every day, and it reported 12,429 alcohol-impaired-driving traffic deaths in 2023. In a county where tractor trailers, family cars, work vans and school traffic share the same highways, police said the public plays a critical role by reporting swerving or drifting vehicles quickly.

Criminal cases in First District Court can be tracked through WebCrims, and the Suffolk County Police Department’s Third Precinct directs emergency calls to 911 and anonymous tips to (800) 220-TIPS.