NCPD Hwy Cops: Four Nabbed Doing Over 100 mph on LIE

This license plate is on a 2004 BMW that was one of four cars confiscated by police and taken to Bill's Towing in Hicksville.

Four Queens men were arrested and their cars confiscated after they raced at speeds in excess of 100 mph early Wednesday morning on the Long Island Expressway, Nassau County police said.

One of the cars had a license plate that read "HEYOFFCR" and three of the cars had windshield stickers that read "Place Ticket Here," with an arrow pointing to a spot under the windshield wipers, police said.

The four drivers, ages 19 to 22, told highway patrol officers they were returning from a night cruising Route 231, Deer Park Avenue, police said.

They are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead on a total of 16 misdemeanor charges, among them second-degree reckless endangerment and reckless driving, as well as a total of 38 traffic violations.

One of the impounded cars had illegal nitrous oxide, which is used to boost horsepower, police said.

The incident began at about 1:20 a.m. when Nassau Highway Patrol Officer Joseph Fernandez, having turned around at the county line, was entering the westbound Long Island Expressway at Exit 48, Round Swamp Road, police said.

On the entrance ramp, police said, Fernandez spotted a group of eight to 10 cars zoom past at a high rate of speed - some of the cars darting in and out of the nighttime traffic, including weaving into and out of the HOV lane.

Nassau County police spokesman Det. Sgt. Anthony Repalone said Fernandez then activated the emergency lights on his patrol unit and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. But the cars refused to stop, Repalone said.

So the officer made a radio call to other highway patrol units for assistance.

"He sees them in-and-out of traffic, headed toward the city," Repalone said, "and he radios ahead to other patrol units to set up a stop."

Two other highway patrol cars, with officers Samuel Ferrandino and Spiros Vouthas, managed to stop four of the cars in the pack after they were forced to slow down because of slower traffic near Exit 37, Mineola Avenue-Willis Avenue, in Roslyn Heights.

Police arrested Anil Isaac, 22, of 107th Avenue in Richmond Hill; Ziad Mohamed, 21, and his brother, Riad Mohamed, 19, both of 122nd Place in South Ozone Park; and Rajesh Prashaud, 21, of Lefferts Boulevard, South Ozone Park.

Each of the four were charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, unlawful fleeing from a police officer and participation in an illegal speed contest.

All of those charges are misdemeanors.

In addition, Issac was issued 12 summonses for violations ranging from obstructed driver's view to failure to stay in a lane to having an illegally tinted windshield. Ziad Mohamed received 11 violations, Riad Mohamed seven violations and Prashaud eight violations, police said.

A 2001 BMW, a 2004 Nissan, a 2004 Infinity and a 2006 Mazda RX8 were impounded.

Posted Wednesday, October 1, 2008

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