A Long Island man was arrested for driving under the influence, but left him in his patrol car, pulled a Houdini, and got into the car with cuffs over his head, police said.
He was eventually arrested again at the cemetery, officials said.
John Gibson, 37, of Copiague, was first apprehended by state troopers at the scene of a crash on Southern State Parkway around 5:25 a.m. Friday and was suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The authorities have announced that.
He failed a field sobriety test and was handcuffed and belted in the back of a police car.
Police said Gibson then “managed to shift his handcuffs forward, unbuckle his seatbelt, get into the front seat of the patrol car, and drive off.”
Officers, with help from Suffolk County police, said they eventually found the stolen police car three miles away near a cemetery in West Babylon.
Gibson was arrested at the cemetery, police said.
In addition to being arrested for drunk driving, the suspect also faces multiple felony charges for illegal joyrides, authorities said.
Police said his additional charges included grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, unauthorized use of a vehicle, fleeing, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and unlawfully fleeing a police officer.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment in Suffolk. Records show that the First District Court.
