Police Officer's Fast-Thinking Move Keeps Car From Slamming Into Crowd At Riverhead Polish Fest: PD

RIVERHEAD, NY — The heroic efforts of a police officer kept a driver from careening into the crowd at the Riverhead Polish Festival on Sunday morning, authorities said.

According to the Riverhead Police Department, the incident took place at about 10:26 a.m. on Osborn Avenue.

A Riverhead traffic control officer assigned to the Polish Festival saw a Hyundai four-door sedan begin "operated erratically," by a driver, police said.

The TCO saw the Hyundai strike a parked vehicle on Sweezy Avenue and then attempt to leave the area, police said.

As the TCO approached the Hyundai, the driver then struck a second vehicle and continued in the attempt to leave the area, police said.

The TCO approached the vehicle on foot in an effort to get the driver to stop; however, she fled the area at a high rate of speed, traveling northbound toward Osborn Avenue, police said.

The TCO immediately relayed the information to uniformed officers assigned to the festival, police said.

A short time later, several uniformed officers observed the Hyundai traveling southbound on Osborn Avenue at a high rate of speed toward the festival area, which had been closed to vehicular traffic due to the large number of pedestrians present, police said.

Several officers attempted to stop the vehicle; however, the driver continued around marked police vehicles, uniformed officers, and traffic-control devices that were blocking the roadway, police said.

As the vehicle continued toward the festival area and failed to stop, a uniformed officer operating a marked police vehicle took action to intercept the Hyundai "due to the immediate threat it posed to the large number of pedestrians in its path," police said.

The officer's marked police vehicle was struck by the Hyundai, causing the Hyundai to become disabled and stopping the threat to the public, police said.

The driver, Blanca Jimenez-Tapia, 34, of Riverhead, was taken into custody at the scene, police said.

She was subsequently transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of minor injuries sustained during the collision, police said.

The officer involved was evaluated at the scene for non-life-threatening injuries and transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center, treated and released, police said.

Jimenez-Tapia was arrested and charged with multiple New York State vehicle and traffic law violations, as wel second-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree unlawful fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, police said.

She was released from custody on an appearance ticket with a future court date, police said.

Anyone with additional information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Riverhead Police Department at 631-727-4500.