In the early hours of Tuesday, Suffolk County police apprehended two individuals caught drag racing on a Long Island highway, a reckless act that could cost them their high-performance vehicles.
The incident unfolded on William Floyd Parkway around 12:50 a.m., where officers observed the duo engaging in an illegal speed contest. Behind the wheels were a 2019 Ford Mustang and a 2023 Dodge Charger, which managed to evade police during a brief pursuit.
However, the chase ended shortly thereafter when additional police units intercepted the vehicles near Smith Point Bridge, bringing the dangerous race to a halt.
Halee Salomon, 22, from Queens, drove the Mustang, while 29-year-old Jake Roth from Lake Ronkonkoma piloted the Charger. Both individuals now face charges for unlawful speed contest, unlawful fleeing, and reckless driving, in addition to numerous traffic violations, according to the police.
Authorities confirmed, “Both drivers were issued field appearance tickets and are scheduled to appear at First District Court in Central Islip at a future date.”
The seized vehicles remain impounded as evidence and may be forfeited under local laws, pending legal proceedings.
In February last year, two drivers also were busted on the Long Island Expressway in Shirley for allegedly drag-racing with their car headlights off, just weeks after a cop was nearly killed on the highway.
Suffolk County Police Officer Brendon Gallagher, an Army vet, suffered near-fatal injuries in January 2025, too, while trying to stop a boozed-up drag-racer near the LIE’s Exit 55.
Gallagher bled out for 45 minutes after the wreck but later recovered from his injuries.
The arrests come after a series of wild car meet-ups in the region that has driven cops and locals crazy.
Seven people were arrested in The Bronx on May 10 after a car meet-up in the Eastchester section of the borough which included reports of drag racing, according to the NYPD.
