Three family members, including a 16-year-old, are facing charges after a brawl erupted in the middle of a Long Island highway, shutting down the busy thoroughfare for hours in the middle of the day.
The fight broke out Wednesday after two trucks crashed in North Lindenhurst, leaving one of the vehicles on its side.
Prosecutors said 19-year-old James O'Connor, of Huntington Station, rammed his Toyota Tundra into another vehicle, causing his vehicle to flip on its side. He was driving with his 12- and 4-year-old siblings in the truck at the time, with the younger sibling not in a car seat.
He got out of his truck and repeatedly swung a wooden object at a man who was in the other vehicle, a GMC Sierra. It didn't take long for others to join in on the fracas, as his father and younger brother showed up soon after and went after people as well.
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An attorney for O'Connor refused to comment, but that same attorney also represents O'Connor's 38-year-old father, Patrick. A third person, 16-year-old Patrick O'Connor Jr., was also arraigned Thursday. Each is facing assault charges.
The 19-year-old O'Connor broke his hand in the chaos. In addition to the assault charges, he also was charged with leaving the scene of a crash, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child.
Prosecutors said the argument began at traffic court, though it's not clear what the fight was about.
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The family apparently was still in decent spirits after the brawl, as a criminal complaint stated that James O'Connor told police "once it calmed down, we all ran to Applebee's."
Bail was set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond. The O'Connor family is originally from England, with one of those involved having been in New York for as little as two weeks. All had to relinquish their passports as part of the bail conditions.
