An allegedly intoxicated New York man was arrested after driving his car over the tracks of the Long Island Railroad before his vehicle caught fire.
Basilio Hidalgo, 40, of Brooklyn, was charged Sunday with reckless endangerment, criminal trespass and driving under the influence after he was caught driving his black SUV along the tracks at the Elmont-UBS Arena station.
Video taken by a witness at the Elmont Station showed the car making a bumpy ride on the tracks closest to the platform as it tried to avoid stopped trains in the other two lanes.
Hidalgo appeared to be alone in the car as he drove along the main line Instagram video shows.
His car was stopped on the tracks by MTA police between the Bellerose and Floral Park stations on Sunday around 5 p.m. after driving about a half mile on the tracks.
The man’s joyride ended after his tires became “severely damaged” and caught fire, leading to “damage to the front of the SUV,” police said. MTA.
Floral Park firefighters were able to extinguish the flames, but not before it caused “significant damage to the third track and other rail infrastructure,” the organization said.
Hidalgo was immediately taken into custody.
Basilio Hidalgo, 40, Brooklyn, was charged Sunday with reckless endangerment, criminal trespass and driving under the influence after he was caught driving his black SUV along the tracks at the Elmont-UBS Arena station (photo)
Hidalgo appeared to be alone in the car and drove the vehicle along the main line with both hands on the steering wheel
His stunt caused major delays on several rail lines, including the Main Line, Ronkonkoma, Huntington and Oyster Bay services. Service on the Hempstead Branch line was completely suspended for several hours.
The SUV was removed from the tracks Sunday around 8:30 p.m. after LIRR track maintenance crews used a hydraulic lift to remove it, the MTA said.
Service was fully restored to Hempstead Branch by 8:40 p.m.
It is unclear how Hidalgo got onto the track in the first place or why he decided to ride the track.
The investigation is ongoing.
Earlier this year, an MTA bus driver was hailed as a hero after he spotted a five-year-old girl walking down the street alone.
Luis Jimenez, 60, was finishing his morning shift when something caught his fatherly attention: a 5-year-old girl walking alone on the sidewalk near 160th and Broadway Tuesday afternoon.
“We have a saying in the MTA: If you see something, say something,” Jimenez told ABC 7.
The man’s joyride ended after his tires became “severely damaged” and “caused damage to the front of the SUV” and the tires caught fire. The SUV was removed from the tracks Sunday around 8:30 p.m. after LIRR track maintainers used a hydraulic lift to remove it
It is unclear how Hidalgo entered the track or why he decided to ride the track
“Well, with me, I’ll do something,” he added, smiling.
The Harlem resident watched her through his front window for about a block before finally deciding to stop, call his dispatcher and have a passenger phone call 911.
And with the help of the other passengers, Jimenez was able to get the little girl, school bag still in hand, safely onto the bus.
Her school reported the toddler missing after she failed to show up for class.
Although she had no history of missing school, she had another plan for that particular day: to go to the pet store.
The little girl’s fish had recently died and she was on her way to replace her beloved pet.
The five-year-old had already traveled ten blocks from the safety of her school grounds before Jimenez spotted her.