A pair of alleged drunk driving crashes within an hour of one another on the Long Island Expressway left a New York State Department of Transportation worker seriously injured, Suffolk County police said.

According to investigators, a Mastic Beach man was charged with driving while intoxicated after crashing and rolling his car over on the LIE between exits 62 and 63 in Holtsville around 9:40 last night.

Police said DOT employee Randolph Acum, 47, responded to the scene and parked his DOT vehicle behind the overturned car.

Suffolk County police said Acum was placing traffic cones in the roadway when a second car struck the worker and crashed around 10:30 p.m.

Investigators identified the driver of the second car as Centereach resident Joseph Kalinowski, 54, and also charged him with driving while intoxicated.

"It's a tragedy," one driver told News 12. "I feel bad. It's horrible. We have to do better as drivers to see how we can be safer out there."

Acum, who lives in Mastic, was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries.

A spokesperson for the NYSDOT told News 12 in a statement: "Last night, a New York State DOT Long Island Highway Maintenance employee sustained serious injuries as a result of getting hit, while on foot, by a personally operated vehicle. He is currently in Stony Brook Hospital ICU receiving the best possible care. The work zone intrusion occurred when our employee was responding to an incident on the LIE. He was setting up cones when he was struck by a motorist. This incident underscores the importance of always being alert on the highway for first responders and safety personnel. The entire NYSDOT family is praying for his recovery."

Kalinowski was also taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with minor injuries and released into police custody

Both Acum's DOT car and Kalinowski's vehicle were impounded.

Kalinowsk is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip later today.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this crash to call the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.