Riverhead driver charged with DWI in crash that injures him, four others

An allegedly drunken Riverhead driver sparked a three-car crash in Flanders on Saturday, Nov. 29, that sent five people to the hospital, including a woman who suffered serious injuries, police said.

Erik A. Yatvelasquez, 22, was driving a 2015 Jeep north on County Road 104 when he sideswiped a 2005 Chevrolet SUV, crossed the double yellow line and veered into an oncoming 2015 Lexus SUV, Southampton Town Police officials told the Riverhead News-Review on Monday.

A 60-year-old female passenger in the Lexus was rushed to Peconic Bay Medical Center with internal injuries, fractures and dislocations, according to police. She underwent multiple surgeries and has since been transferred to another area hospital for additional surgery, police added.

Mr. Yatvelasquez suffered “significant mouth injuries” and was airlifted by Suffolk County Police medevac to Stony Brook University Hospital, according to police.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated shortly after the crash, police said.

The driver of the Lexus and the two people in the Chevy were also taken to PBMC with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The passenger in Mr. Yatvelasquez’s car was not hurt in the crash.

After the initial 911 call at about 7:44 p.m. on Saturday, Southampton patrol units, the department’s Community Response Unit and New York State Police troopers responded to the crash, about a half-mile from the intersection with CR-105.

Ambulances from Flanders Northampton, Westhampton Beach and East Quogue also rushed to the scene, along with the Flanders Fire Department.

Both lanes of CR-104 were shut down between the traffic circle at CR-31 and CR-105. The road reopened shortly after midnight on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Detectives investigated the crash with the New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit and Forensic Identification Unit.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Southampton Town Police detectives at 631-702-2230.