Police: N. Bellmore man was high on heroin in Southern State hit-and-run

A North Bellmore man drove high on heroin on the Southern State Parkway and struck another vehicle near Newbridge Road without stopping last Friday, according to New York State Police.

Authorities said Steven Santo, 28, sideswiped a Volkswagen in the eastbound lane of the Southern State at about 7 p.m. According to state police, Santo was driving a blue Chrysler sedan that belonged to a family friend. The Volkswagen’s unnamed driver provided officers with the Chrysler’s license plate number, enabling them to track down the car’s owner, who led police to him.

Santo was arrested on Jericho Turnpike in Westbury. According to officials, he resisted arrest and tried to run away from police. When caught, he admitted to hitting the Volkswagen and being high while behind the wheel, police said. They added that he was in possession of an undisclosed amount of heroin and Xanax at the time of his arrest.

Paul Leonard, a Nassau County District Attorney’s Office spokesman, said Santo, who had four outstanding arrest warrants, was arraigned on March 15 at First District Court in Hempstead and charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree assault, second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, driving while ability impaired by drugs and resisting arrest.

At his arraignment, Santo was represented by an attorney from the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, which does not comment on cases.