An inebriated driver was arrested for running over and eventually killing his friend at around 4 a.m. on Saturday in Setauket, Long Island.

Investigators believe that the deceased decided to leave the vehicle out of fear for her safety. In an attempt to convince her to go back inside the car, the drunk driver hit the victim who was then walking home.

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The Suffolk County Police received a 911 call from the drunk driver, 23-year-old Lawrence Pagano, who reported the accident himself. Despite the call for help, the victim, 21-year-old Krystal Berkowitz, was pronounced dead on the spot.

Police reports show that Berkowitz chose to get out of the car driven by Pagano because of his intoxication. The victim assessed that the suspect would be unable to drive carefully. She then opted to walk home instead of riding the vehicle with the inebriated driver.

However, her effort to take a safer means of going home proved to be futile. Insisting to take her home, Pagano followed the victim with his car. Police say that he might have been planning to pull over and convince Berkowitz to go back with him, but bumped her with his vehicle instead.

The suspect was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

Pagano is a resident of Coram while Berkowitz was from Stony Brook.

New York has been identified as one of the states that impose stricter punishments for driving while intoxicated. These penalties include license cancellation, incarceration, and compulsory substance abuse assessments and medication.

The state has implemented implied consent laws, which cover all drivers in New York. Hence, all drivers are deemed to have automatically agreed to take a blood alcohol content test.

This assumption is invoked by officers when they hail drivers whom they suspect to be driving while intoxicated. Refusal to submit to this test may result in license suspension. The suspension may range from a year to 18 months depending on the gravity of the offense.

TagsCoram, Stony Brook, Lawrence Pagano, Krystal Berkowitz, Setauket, Long Island