A Suffolk County police officer is in hot water with the law himself and has been indicted on charges of vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated after allegedly striking a pedestrian in Huntington Village while off duty.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced Monday that Alexander Vargas, 30, of Babylon, faces one count of Vehicular Assault in the Second Degree, a Class E felony, and two misdemeanor counts of Driving While Intoxicated. Vargas, a Suffolk officer, was arraigned in County Court before Judge James McDonaugh, who suspended his license but released him without bail. Current New York State law does not permit bail for the charges he faces.
According to investigators, the crash occurred around 2:30 a.m. on June 22, 2025. Vargas was allegedly driving a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro southbound on New York Avenue at a speed above the posted limit when he struck a 28-year-old man crossing at the intersection of New York Avenue and Carver Street.
Police said officers responding to the scene found Vargas a block away, sitting inside his parked car. He was allegedly intoxicated and was taken into custody.
The victim was transported to Huntington Hospital with serious injuries. Prosecutors said he suffered fractures to his clavicle, hand, finger, and cervical spine, as well as a head laceration that required staples.
Tierney emphasized that his office would continue pursuing impaired driving cases regardless of the defendant’s background. “Impaired driving and reckless behavior behind the wheel are not tolerated in Suffolk County regardless of the defendant’s occupation,” he said.
Vargas, who is represented by attorney Steven Politi, is scheduled to return to court on November 13, 2025. If convicted on the top charge, he faces up to one and one-third to four years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney MacDonald Drane.