Cops: Man On Drugs Backs Through Big H Sign, Hits Building

Police charged a Melville man with drugged driving on July 1 after he allegedly backed through this Big H shopping center sign in a Mercedes-Benz. Long Islander News photo/Danny Schrafel

By Danny Schrafel

dschrafel@longislandergroup.com

A Melville man driving a Mercedes-Benz was under the influence of drugs when he allegedly backed the car through a Huntington shopping center sign and wound up crashed into a building Wednesday evening, Suffolk police said.

A police spokeswoman said Samuel Dixon, 29, was driving in reverse northbound through the Big H parking lot at 5 p.m. yesterday, then drove up on the curb, went across the entrance median and smashed through the sign.

That wasn’t enough to stop him, though, according to police. His alleged joyride continued as he crossed New York Avenue, drove onto the sidewalk and crashed into 790 New York Ave., home of North Shore Implant and Oral Surgery Associates. He then fled on foot before he was caught, police said.

Dixon was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs in the first degree, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, reckless driving and resisting arrest at 5:30 p.m. Police say Dixon pulled away from the arresting officer, pushing him to the ground and ran into traffic before he was detained.

Dixon was the second person arrested in the Huntington area Wednesday related to allegations of reckless drugged driving.

Hours earlier, at about 2 p.m., Barbara Lamantia, 58, of Huntington Station, was charged with driving while under the influence of drugs and leaving the scene of an accident after she allegedly barreled through the streets of Huntington Station and downtown Huntington village in a Dodge Charger and smashed into multiple cars.

She was later taken to Huntington Hospital for evaluation, police said.