What Happened
A 19-year-old Copiague man was seriously injured and arrested Friday afternoon after leading Suffolk County Police on a brief pursuit on a motorized scooter that ended in a collision with an SUV on Great Neck Road, according to a press release from the Suffolk County Police Department.
Officers from the SCPD First Precinct attempted to initiate a traffic stop on Albert Jose Rosario Duran at approximately 12:05 p.m. on Friday, July 10, 2026. Rosario Duran was riding a 2025 Racestar motorized scooter southbound on Great Neck Road when officers moved to pull him over. Instead of complying, he refused to stop and attempted to evade the officers.
The pursuit ended when Rosario Duran collided with a 2012 Ford Escape. The Suffolk County Police Department confirmed that the scooter operator sustained serious injuries in the crash. The identity and condition of the Ford Escape’s driver have not been publicly disclosed by police at this time.
Rosario Duran was placed under arrest at the scene. He faces a charge of unlawfully fleeing a police officer, a charge that reflects the active evasion rather than simply failing to yield. Suffolk County Police have not yet confirmed whether additional charges — such as those related to the operation of the motorized scooter itself — are pending.
Location & Road Context
Great Neck Road in Copiague runs through a densely residential and commercially mixed corridor in the Town of Babylon in western Suffolk County. The road serves as a primary north-south artery connecting Copiague to Amityville and the broader South Shore, carrying significant local traffic that includes pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists accessing nearby schools and shopping areas. Long Island Traffic’s local incident database has recorded 599 accidents in Suffolk County, underscoring the county’s consistently high crash volume. The First Precinct, which covers western Suffolk communities including Babylon Town, responded to the scene.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Rosario Duran was charged with unlawfully fleeing a police officer following the crash. Under New York State law, unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle is a class A misdemeanor at its base level, carrying a potential sentence of up to one year in jail, though the charge can be elevated to a felony depending on circumstances such as the degree of risk posed to others. The Suffolk County Police Department has not released information on arraignment date, bail status, or whether the case has been referred to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office for additional charges tied to the collision itself.
Broader Impact
Motorized scooters occupy a legally ambiguous space on New York roads: depending on their top speed and engine classification, they may be treated as mopeds or motorcycles under state law, requiring registration, a valid license, and adherence to all vehicle and traffic laws. Operating an unregistered or unlicensed motorized scooter — a common issue across Long Island — can compound criminal exposure significantly when a pursuit or crash is involved. Friday’s incident on Great Neck Road is the second major injury event in Copiague-area Suffolk County recorded on July 10, alongside a serious injury incident in Mastic reported the same day.