Suffolk County Police last night arrested a woman after she crashed a stolen car into a marked police vehicle in Ronkonkoma.
Sixth Precinct officers in police vehicles located a 2007 Toyota Corolla that had previously been reported stolen as it was parked and occupied on Patchogue-Holbrook Road in Holbrook at approximately 7:25 p.m. The woman in the Toyota saw police approaching, backed out of the parking space and into a police vehicle before driving away and entering the Long Island Expressway westbound at Exit 61.
The Toyota exited the LIE at Exit 60, to Express Drive North, reversed direction and drove the wrong way back to Exit 61, where she re-entered the westbound LIE. She drove to Exit 58 and again drove the wrong way on Express Drive North. At some point, she re-entered the LIE from an exit ramp and began traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes. A Highway Patrol officer traveling westbound saw the Toyota approaching, activated lights and sirens, and slowed down as the Toyota crashed into his vehicle head-on between Exit 58 and Exit 59.
The driver of the Toyota, Nina Cahill, exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot, but the officer quickly apprehended her and placed her under arrest at approximately 8:05 p.m. Cahill, 41, was charged with Reckless Endangerment 1st Degree, Assault 2nd Degree, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 3rd Degree. She is being held overnight and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on September 8.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.