The ex-president of Long Island’s prestigious Adelphi University is facing drunken driving charges after cops said she smashed her BMW into two cars, through a fence and onto LIRR tracks.
Christine Riordan, 60, who stepped down from the Garden City school in June, was arrested following the wild wreck at the Nassau Boulevard Railroad Station shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday, allegedly damaging parked cars, a fence, a train platform and railroad tracks, according to police.
“Upon investigation, it was determined that a vehicle with two occupants crashed into two parked vehicles, fending, the railroad tracks, the third rail, and a train platform stanchion,” the Garden City Police Department said in a release.
“Power and train service were halted in both directions until the vehicle was safely removed and necessary repairs to the train tracks and third rail were completed,” the release said.
Riordan, who had a passenger in the car, was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. No injuries were reported in the crash, police said.
Her attorney, Steven Gaitman of Gaitman & Russo in Garden City, denied the charges.
“My client denies the allegations and looks forward to providing witnesses and a timeline to the district attorney’s office that support that she was not drinking and driving,” Gaitman said.
“We believe that there was a vehicle malfunction and are investigating how this forced acceleration may have occurred,” he said.
According to a report by Newsday, Riordan’s license has now been suspended.
Riordan’s salary as president was not immediately available, but Newsday reported that she earned more than $1 million in 2021, including salary, bonus and other perks.
