Police: Officer 'Risked His Life' To Stop Crane Driver Who Hit Several Cars On The Long Island Expressway
HAPPAUGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Police are crediting the bravery and heroism of an officer for helping to stop a crane operator after they say he hit several cars on the Long Island Expressway.
Brian Sinclair, 47, was walked out of the Sixth Precinct in Selden Wednesday. He's facing charges of driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident.
Police said Sinclair was driving a crane eastbound on the LIE around 6:20 p.m. Tuesday when he hit four vehicles just west of exit 57 in Ronkonkoma and then kept going.
He was then spotted driving erratically near exit 60 by Highway Patrol Officer Joseph Goss, according to police. When the crane slowed down, police said Goss jumped onto the vehicle and forced Sinclair to stop near exit 63.
"The crane did not come to a complete stop,"said Suffolk County Police Chief of Department Stuart Cameron. "Officer Goss was able to pull in behind the crane, exit his vehicle, run up to it -- and again the crane was moving at slow speed -- get into the crane and force the operator to stop."
Cameron said Goss "risked his life" to help stop the crane.
"So not only was there tremendous coordination and skill utilized by the Highway Patrol Bureau, there was tremendous bravery," he said.
Goss said he was "just doing my job" adding that it "seemed like the right thing to do at the time."
"It was just my job," he added. "Doing my job."
Cameron and Goss also credited other officers for helping in the effort.
"I was grateful for the other officers being there that day just because of the size of the vehicle," Goss said. "I was really concerned that if this guy continued on eastbound, he would have killed somebody."
Police said none of the people in the four vehicles that were hit were seriously hurt, though three people were treated in area hospitals for minor injuries. Goss also suffered minor injuries.
This wasn't the officer's first moment of heroism, CBS2's Jessica Moore reported. In December 2016, he rescued a woman driving drunk with a baby in her car on the LIE. He jumped into the passenger seat and convinced the driver to pull over.
Police said Sinclair was driving a vehicle that belongs to Bay Crane Services. CBS2 called the company, but they haven't responded to a request for information.
Sinclair was arraigned Wednesday in Central Islip. Bail was set at $5,000 cash or $15,000 bond. He is due back in court on July 20.
