Two motorists cuffed for drag racing at night with headlights off on LIE weeks after cops near-fatal chase

Two men were arrested for drag racing in the dark on the Long Island Expressway, just weeks after a high-speed chase on the same road nearly cost a cop his life.Suffolk County PD cuffed 20-year-olds Evan Hacker of East Patchogue and Randy Lopez of Middle Island after they were gunned doing 109 miles per hour near exit 68 in Shirley at about 9:45 p.m.Friday, Newsday reported.The suspects deliberately had their headlights off — Hacker’s 2016 Audi S3 and Lopez’s 2020 Infiniti Q50 — during the race, according to the outlet.Lopez and Hacker are due in Islip Court on Feb.

27.The duo is charged with unlawful speed contest and reckless driving, and Patch reported their vehicles were impounded.The delinquently dangerous act comes on the heels of Suffolk County cop Brendon Gallagher’s near-fatal crash while speeding after a perp on the LIE around exit 55 in Brentwood on Jan.

5.At the time, suspect Cody Fisher, 29, sideswiped Gallagher and caused his squad car to careen off the road and overturn, leaving the cop in critical condition.Stony Brook University Hospital’s head of trauma, Dr.James Vosswinkel, said Gallagher’s body was in such terrible shape — he was left bleeding out for 45 minutes as emergency crews sped to the officer — that it was “trying to die” at the scene before being airlifted to the medical center.Gallagher was released to his family after over three weeks of treatment....