A sergeant was knocked unconscious when his cruiser was rear-ended. The accident happened at 4:30 Thursday morning on Route 304 near route 59.
Orangetown Police Officer Matthew Sullivan had pulled over a woman for speeding. A few minutes later Sergeant Thomas Shutz's parked his car behind Officer Sullivan's.
"While sitting in their vehicles, Officer Sullivan was issuing the traffic summons and Sergeant Shutz was just there to provide assistance and keep an eye on the scene," Det. Lt. Jim Brown said.
That's when Benard Bohunicky, who police say was drunk, veered onto the shoulder and plowed into the sergeant's car, knocking it into the officer's cruiser.
All three men and a male passenger in Bohunicky's car were hospitalized.
"The officers were taken to the hospital. They're being treated for neck, back, knee injuries, things like that related to being hit so hard from behind," Brown said.
Bohunicky refused a breathalyzer test. He is now facing felony charges based on a number of previous DWIs.
He was arrested in Haverstraw by state police in 2005 and twice last year by Clarkstown Police for driving drunk. He was sentenced to probation and his license was suspended.
The town supervisor, who visited the injured cops, expressed his anger.
"There seems to be a history of bad behavior with this individual. Now they put in danger the life of two police officers who were out in the middle of the night doing their job protecting the public," Orangetown Town Supervisor Paul Whalen said.
The officers were treated and released from the hospital.
Bohunicky was also treated and released from the hospital, and then arraigned and ordered held on 50-thousand dollars bail.
