Man Driving Near Merrick Library Arrested for Being Impaired by Drugs

An Oceanside man driving near the Merrick Library Wednesday afternoon was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs, police said. 

Brian Steele, 29, was also found to be in possession of illegal prescription drugs after police stopped his 2007 Cadillac Escalade as it was heading eastbound on Narwood Avenue at 1:50 p.m., police said. 

Steele was pulled over for not wearing a seat belt and when asked to step out of his vehicle, police said he was "unsteady on his feet" and slurred his speech.  A field sobriety test at the scene also showed positive clues for impairment, police said. 

After Steele was arrested, police discovered he was in possession of assorted pills believed to be the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the painkiller Vicodin.

Steele is the same man who was in the news in April after he let a Freeport teen drive his van while she was allegedly high on drugs.  The teen struck and killed a Hempstead woman with Steele in the passenger seat.

Steele is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, DWAI - Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, DWAI - impaired combined influences and driving without a seat belt.

Steele will be arraigned today in First District Court in Hempstead.