Man Arrested After Crashing Through Fence At East Rockaway School

EAST ROCKAWAY, NY — A man was taken into custody after a driving spree that ended with him speeding into a schoolyard.

Edward Coghlan, 73, who was charged with drunk driving, crashed his 2004 Lincoln sedan Wednesday into a 2018 Suburu parked at a Wendy's restaurant on Ocean Avenue, detectives said.

A short time later, Coghlan slammed his vehicle into a chain-link fence at Rhame Avenue Elementary School, police said.

The field was filled with 80 students and several staffers, who rushed the students back inside, according to the police department news release.

No one was injured, but Coghlan drove across the school's field erratically and at a high rate of speed. He fled the scene, but was picked up by police as he drove on West Boulevard, detectives said.

Coghlan also faces two counts of criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child.

He was arraigned Thursday in Mineola and was released, but his license was suspended, Newsday reported.