Ridge, NY - October 8, 2018 - Suffolk County Police on Saturday, October 6 arrested a driving instructor after he was involved in a motor vehicle crash in Ridge.
Russell Cohen, a driving instructor for the Suffolk Auto Driving School, was instructing four students when they became suspicious he was intoxicated. The students told Cohen they were hungry and convinced him to stop at McDonalds, located at 1724 Middle Country Road, Centereach, at approximately 11 a.m. The students exited the car and called 911.
When the students didn’t come out in a timely manner, Cohen left. He rear-ended his 2012 Honda Accord into a 2008 Honda Civic, being driven by a 29-year-old Shoreham woman, on Route 25 and Montauk Trail in Ridge, at approximately 11:45 a.m. She was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead with non-life-threatening injuries. Cohen was not injured.
Cohen, 58, of Ridge was charged with Aggravated DWI and three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip at a later date.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.