On Monday, Nassau County Police Department arrested a man who struck a teen cyclist with his vehicle in West Islip, Long Island, on Sunday.
The 13-year-old was on Roderick Road, near Spruce Avenue, when he was injured by the SUV at around 7:45 p.m. on June 7.
Will McCaw, just 13 years old, is banged up but grateful he wasn’t more seriously hurt. Sunday night, McCaw and his friends were in front of a house on Roderick Road and Spruce Road in West Islip, checking out bikes that were being thrown out when a man driving a SUV struck him and his friends.
“I was scared for my life, he was coming right at me and he didn’t stop until he already hit us and he came out and cursed at us…he said ‘get the eff out of the middle of the road,’ even though we weren’t even close to being in the middle of the road.”
McCaw was lucky that he jumped off his bike in time. The driver drove away even as McCaw cried and screamed for him to stop, his prized bike, a SoCal Flyer Beastmode, which costs more than $1,000, was being dragged away by the vehicle.
“Targeting somebody, trying to harm them, a bunch of kids and saying next time it could be worse,” said William McCaw, Sr. “This is crazy stuff that could be someone who’s having some type of breakdown, we have to catch him before he does this again.”
The McCaw family immediately turned to social media, pleading for help identifying the driver. Around 1 p.m. Monday, someone called with a tip about a bike sighting on Kane Street in West Islip, on the other side of where they live.
Carol McCaw, Will’s mother, went to meet detectives and identify the bicycle.
“The weather’s getting nicer, kids are hanging out and this lunatic is driving like a psychopath towards the kids, cursing them out and leaving the scene,” she told NBC New York.
The driver of the SUV was identified as 67-year-old Charles Dreitlein. He was detained outside his residence in Deer Park and faces multiple charges including third-degree assault and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury.
The McCaws say their son loves his bike, posting TikToks of the bike and even runs a car wash business to help pay for the bike’s maintenance, accessories and upgrades. Finding whoever was callous enough to do this and drive away, though they say, is about public safety.
“Just always be careful, you never know what’s going to happen on the street,” said McCaw Jr. “That guy could be looking to hit other kids always be safe and put your helmet on.”
“Today was my son, and thank God he acted quickly enough and jumped off his bike, but tomorrow it could be someone else,” said Carol McCaw.
If you know anything about this incident, you’re urged to call Suffolk County Police.
