When Chris Meier drove his car onto the Deepdale Golf Course in Manhasset last week, Nassau County Police Department Lt. Ray Cote, of the 3rd Precinct, said the 49-year-old Sayville resident “started creating mayhem in a very reckless manor.”
Meier, of 27 Claire Lane, was arrested for driving his 1995 Ford Taurus onto the Deepdale Golf Course at 300 North Service Road in Manhasset while intoxicated at 7 p.m. last Tuesday, police said.
After striking two golf carts, Meier crashed his car into a sand trap during a rampage that injured no one, but created more than $10,000 of damage to the golf course, police said.
“Who knows what was motivating him,” Cote said of Meier. “That was just a stupid thing to do.”
Cote said Meier told police he drove by the Deepdale Golf Course every day on his way to work.
“He just was intoxicated and drives by that golf course on his way to work,” Cote said of Meier. “That day he decided to drive in. He drove all over the golf course. He rammed a couple of golf carts.”
Once entering the grounds of the Deepdale Golf Course, Cote said Meier drove his car over the 18th, first, second and third fairways before crashing into a sand trap near the fourth hole.
During the pursuit, Meier also hit an unoccupied parked golf cart before crashing into a cart carrying a 19-year-old man, Cote said.
“Just before the cart was struck, the young man jumped out to safety,” Cote said. “The man ran for the tree line. He was able to get into trees prior to being struck.”
Cote declined to release the identity of the man, who was not injured during the incident.
But, Cote said Meier told officers the unnamed 19-year-old made an obscene gesture toward him, which precipitated the attempt to hit the man’s golf cart with his car.
“Mr. Meier says that he gave him the finger, but we have no ways of knowing (for sure),” Cote said.
Meier attempted to run from the scene after wrecking his car, but he was chased down by employees of the golf course, who held the Sayville man until officers arrived, police said.
“The grounds crew at Deepale were able to hold him,” Cote said.
Meier was arraigned last Wednesday in 1st District Court in Hempstead. He pleased not guilty to three counts of criminal mischief in the second degree, reckless endangerment in the second degree and aggravated driving while intoxicated and was held on $7,500 cash bail or $15,000 in bond.
Due to the proximity of the Deepdale Golf Course and the North Hills Country Club to the Long Island Expressway, Cote said police chases have been known to take place on the grounds of the country club.
“You have police pursuist that go onto the private property of the golf courses,” Cote said, “but this is the first time in my 26 years that someone … started creating mayhem in a very reckless manor.”
