Police: Fatal E. Patchogue DWI Crash Kills Driver's Grandfather

The grandfather of a Mastic man arrested Monday for allegedly driving while intoxicated was killed  from an East Patchogue car accident on Sunrise Highway Monday, says Suffolk County Police.

According to police, Gary Hendricks, 45, the driver of a 1999 Chevrolet suburban, was traveling westbound on the highway with three passengers when his vehicle hit the back of a 1997 GMC pickup truck driven by Jonathan Penaranda, 21 of Patchogue, on westbound Sunrise Highway near Route 112 in Patchogue around 5:15 p.m. Police say Penaranda and his passenger in the pickup were not injured in the crash.

The Suburban however went onto the shoulder, up an embankment and overturned several times east of Route 112. Issac Beal, 77, was seated in the backseat of the Suburban and was ejected from the vehicle. Issac Beal was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Donald Fowler, 62 of West Babylon, was also in the backseat and airlifted via Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition.

Hendricks and frontseat passenger Tina Downes, 47 of Medford, were taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue with non-life-threatening injuries. Hendricks was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree, says police.

The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.