Suffolk County police arrested a Westbury woman who drove into a triathlon and struck one of the participants.
On August 6, Ramona Jakeline Figueroa-Lopez, 29, was driving a 2023 Nissan SUV eastbound, leaving the parking lot of Smith County Park in Shirley. At 7:15 a.m., Figueroa-Lopez entered an area closed off from traffic due to a triathlon, and struck a man who was riding his bicycle as part of the race.
The triathlete, a 43-year-old Selden man, was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital via Suffolk County police medevac and treated for serious injuries. Figueroa-Lopez was not injured, and an adult female passenger in the car sustained minor injuries.
Figueroa-Lopez was charged with reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and driving without a court-ordered interlock device. She was released on a desk appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear at First District Court in Central Islip on August 25.