A Long Island man was charged last night in a drunken-driving crash in Queens that left a man in his 30s and his 9-year-old daughter fighting for their lives.
Paul J. Wachter, 43, of Westbury, was arrested and charged with driving drunk. Police said he may face more serious charges.
The two-car accident happened at about 8:12 p.m. near the intersection of Farmers Boulevard and Brinkerhoff Avenue in Hollis.
Police said the father and daughter – whose names were withheld pending notification of relatives – were in critical condition at Mary Immaculate Hospital. Two of the man’s other children were also at Mary Immaculate, one in serious condition and one who was slightly injured. A fifth person in the victims’ car – identified as the man’s sister – was slightly injured.
Wachter – who was convicted of drunken driving in 1989 – was driving a 1991 Chevy Blazer. He was taken to Queens General Hospital with minor injuries.