Long Island ambulette driver accused of driving patient while drunk

ROOSEVELT, Long Island (WABC) -- Police on Long Island arrested an ambulette driver who they was drunk while moving a patient.

Authorities say 45-year-old Pedro Aponte, of Brooklyn, while driving a "Life Care" ambulette with a dialysis patient inside. He was reportedly taking the patient from Queens to a treatment center in Nassau County.

The ambulette was involved in a pair of accidents, police said, after Aponte hit two utility poles. The first happened at East Greenwich Avenue near Nassau Road, with Aponte allegedly fleeing the scene. The ambulette later hit another pole in the 500 block of East Greenwich Avenue, police said.

Officers said they responded and discovered the heavily damaged ambulette, a broken utility pole, a parked vehicle that was damaged, and Aponte lying on the ground next to the ambulette.

Aponte was intoxicated, police said, and he was taken into custody and driven to an area hospital.

The 77-year-old patient suffered non-life threatening injuries to his ribs and was also hospitalized.

Aponte is charged with two counts of criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired, driving while ability impaired (drugs), and two counts of leaving the scene of an incident.