West Islip driver arrested after striking bicycling boy and fleeing scene

A 13-year-old boy was riding his bicycle on Roderick Road near Spruce Avenue in West Islip when a motor vehicle struck him and kept going, setting off a police investigation that ended with an arrest in Deer Park. Suffolk County police said the crash happened about 7:45 p.m. on June 7, and a passerby later found the injured boy and the bicycle at Ruth Street and Kane Street before calling police.

Detectives with the Third Precinct Investigative Unit, the Criminal Intelligence Section and Third Squad tracked down the alleged driver the next day. Police said Charles Dreitlein, 67, of Deer Park, was arrested about 6:05 p.m. on June 8 outside 1 Dix Street.

Dreitlein was charged with third-degree assault and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury. He was being held overnight at the Third Precinct and was scheduled to be arraigned June 9 in Suffolk County First District Court in Central Islip, the court that handles misdemeanors and conducts arraignments in felony cases. As in any criminal case, the charges are accusations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The case underscores the risk young bicyclists face on neighborhood roads in Suffolk County, where even a residential stretch can turn dangerous in a matter of seconds when a driver does not stop. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law section 600 requires a driver involved in a crash that causes personal injury to stop and provide identifying information or report the crash as soon as physically able.

The broader safety picture is stark. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says bicyclists are highly vulnerable in vehicle crashes, and 1,103 bicyclists were killed in traffic crashes in 2024. Suffolk County’s own bike network portal says route information is for informational use and advises caution, especially when crossing roadways, a reminder that families and children sharing local streets remain exposed to fast-moving traffic.

For West Islip parents and riders, the episode is a reminder that accountability after a crash can depend on quick action by witnesses as much as police work. In this case, a citizen who spotted the boy and his bicycle at Ruth Street and Kane Street made the call that helped move the case forward and brought the alleged driver into custody.