Suffolk County Police today arrested a Westbury woman who drove into the race route during a triathlon and struck a bicyclist, seriously injuring him. Ramona Jakeline Figueroa-Lopez was driving a 2023 Nissan SUV eastbound attempting to leave the parking lot of Smith Point County Park while the area was closed to traffic for the Smith Point Triathlon. The vehicle entered into the race route and struck a triathlete during the bicycle portion of the race at 7:15 a.m. The bicyclist, a 43-year-old Selden man, was taken via Suffolk County Police medevac to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious physical injuries. Figueroa-Lopez was not injured. An adult female passenger in the car had minor injuries. Figueroa-Lopez, 29, was charged with Reckless Driving, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, and Driving without a Court Ordered Interlock Device, all misdemeanors. She was released on a Desk Appearance Ticket and is scheduled to appear at First District Court in Central Islip on August 25. The Nissan was impounded for a safety check. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to contact the Seventh Squad at 631-852-8752. A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent
