A Syracuse lacrosse player is facing charges of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident and resisting arrest after damaging a car owned by the SU men’s lacrosse head coach early Monday morning.

Kevin Drew, a senior defensive midfielder, was charged by Syracuse police Monday on the 1500 block of Lancaster Avenue, confirmed Sgt. Gary Bulinski of the Syracuse Police Department. A police officer observed a 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer hit a parked Toyota at 3:31 a.m. on the 400 block of Broad Street.

The officer then chased the Trailblazer at speeds of 50 miles per hour. The area speed limit is 30 miles per hour. Once the vehicle pulled over, Drew — the only one in the car — did not follow police commands to get out of the vehicle with his hands up.

Drew told police the car belonged to a roommate. The registered owner of the vehicle is men’s lacrosse coach John Desko. Desko told The Post-Standard on Tuesday that his son, Tim Desko, also a member of the lacrosse team, is Drew’s roommate.

Syracuse police charged Drew with a total of nine counts, according to police records. The counts were resisting arrest, speeding, passing a stop sign, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, driving while intoxicated, DWI with a BAC greater than .08 percent, aggravated DWI with a BAC of .18 percent or greater and failure to comply with a police order.

John Desko released a statement through SU on Tuesday: ‘We are aware of what happened and fortunately no one was injured. Kevin has been indefinitely suspended from the lacrosse team. We will continue to monitor this situation moving forward and handle the matter internally.’

Drew is not the first member of the men’s lacrosse team to be arrested since August. A Syracuse men’s lacrosse player and a signee who was set to begin his freshman year at SU this fall were arrested Aug. 7.

A sophomore defender for Syracuse and an 18-year-old from Clifton Park, N.Y., were arrested in Lake Placid and charged with attempted petit larceny, third-degree criminal mischief, fifth-degree conspiracy and reckless endangerment of property. The 18-year-old male was also charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and criminal possession of a forged instrument. The 18-year-old had his name omitted because of his youthful offender status.

Drew played in all 17 games for the Orange in 2011 and was named to the All-Big East Second Team. He racked up six goals, an assist, 33 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers.

jdharr04@syr.edu

—Sports Editor Michael Cohen contributed reporting to this article.

Published on October 24, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jon: jdharr04@syr.edu