A Brooklyn man, suspected of being drunk, caused chaos on Sunday by driving his car onto Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) tracks, igniting a fire and disrupting train services, as reported by the New York Post.
The ride began near New York’s Elmont-UBS Arena station where 40-year-old Basilio Hidalgo reportedly entered the tracks and drove his SUV about a kilometre.
A video captured by eyewitnesses showed a black Honda SUV bouncing along the tracks before it came to a stop near the Bellerose station.
The SUV was badly damaged, with two tyres shredded and the front catching fire. The Floral Park fire department extinguished the flames and used special equipment, including a hydraulic lift, to remove the vehicle from the tracks.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department (MTAPD) responded to the scene and arrested Hidalgo on-site and took him into police custody. He was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree criminal trespassing, and driving while intoxicated (DWI).
The incident caused significant damage to the LIRR tracks, including the third rail, and halted train services on the Hempstead Branch, with delays on the Ronkonkoma, Port Jefferson, and Oyster Bay branches. Crews worked for three hours to remove the SUV, repair the tracks, and fully restore service.
Efforts to clear the scene and restore service continued into the evening. The tracks were repaired by 8.40 pm (local time), and full service resumed.
No injuries were reported, but commuters faced major disruptions due to the reckless act.
Authorities, including the MTAPD and LIRR fire marshal, investigated how the SUV accessed the tracks.
The MTA said the driver accessed the tracks just west of the Elmont UBS Arena Station from ground level, allowing the car to reach the tracks directly from land at the same elevation.
Train riders were stunned that this could even happen.
“This kind of thing is very embarrassing for like being late and things like that because it can cause delay and it’s very dangerous,” one LIRR rider said.
“I think anything can happen, it’s very weird. But it is unsettling no doubt. And if you’re a passenger on the train? Yeah, what would you think about that?” another rider said.
