A Freeport man is accused of assaulting a state trooper during a traffic stop on the Southern State Parkway, and police are crediting two passing drivers for stopping and coming to the trooper's aid.

State police say the suspect, Lenox Pascal, was pulled over just before 10 p.m. Friday near the Eagle Avenue exit in Hempstead for driving erratically.

When the trooper attempted to arrest Pascal on DWI charges, police say Pascal resisted arrest and assaulted the trooper. Two passing drivers stopped to help, and Pascal was taken into custody.

The trooper was treated for minor injuries and is expected to be OK.

Police say Pascal had a suspended license for a prior DWI conviction. He's facing multiple charges, including felony assault on a police officer, aggravated driving while intoxicated, resisting arrest and reckless endangerment.

In a police release, officials commended the motorists who stopped. "This trooper was engaged in a life-threatening situation on a heavily traveled parkway. These two good Samaritans jeopardized their own safety to come to the aid of the trooper," New York State Police Major David Candelaria, Troop L Commander, said in a statement.