Police arrest man after car chase

A West Babylon man caused a three-car collision in Freeport as he fled from police after menacing a driver on the Southern State Parkway in North Valley Stream on Tuesday night, police said.

A 35-year-old man was driving west on the parkway near exit 13 at 10:45 p.m. when he was “tapped multiple times in the rear” by a dark-colored vehicle, police said. The victim exited the parkway and was stopped on Linden Boulevard when Daniel Longo, 26, pulled alongside him and brandished what appeared to be a black handgun, according to police.

The victim drove away “in fear for his life,” police said, but Longo followed him. The victim drove onto Elmont Road, then turned east on West Merrick Road, and Longo is alleged to have again pointed the gun at him. The victim spotted a police officer at the intersection of West Merrick Road and South Franklin Avenue and told the officer what was happening.

The officer saw Longo’s 1999 Hyundai Tiburon and attempted to pull him over, but Longo refused to stop, police said. The officer pursued him east on Merrick Road all the way to Freeport, where Longo allegedly drove through a red light at Henry Street and crashed into two vehicles, which ended the chase. Officers arrested Longo at 11:35 p.m., police said.

Neither Longo nor the occupants of the other vehicles were injured.

Police found a black Phantom BB gun in the suspect’s car. Longo was charged with two counts of second-degree menacing, fourth-degree possession of a dangerous weapon, reckless driving and several traffic violations. He was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday at First District Court in Hempstead.