New Castle man held for DWI after vehicle pursuit

New Castle man held for DWI after vehicle pursuit

NEW CASTLE — A New Castle man with a history of driving-related convictions was arrested Saturday after leading police on a vehicle pursuit.

Police reports indicate officers began chasing a car driven by John E. Bowsman at 14th and G streets about 2:30 a.m.

Bowsman was pulled over in the 1800 block of Thornburg Street after running several stops signs and a red light, the reports said.

He was preliminarily charged with driving while intoxicated, resisting law enforcement with a motor vehicle, driving after a lifetime suspension and public intoxication.

Court records reflect Bowsman, who turns 44 on Wednesday, was convicted of driving while intoxicated in 2001 and 1996, driving as a habitual traffic violator in 2001 and 1999, and driving while suspended and public intoxication in 1996.

He was being held in the Henry County jail on Sunday under a $13,900 bond.

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Suspect in fatal crash with cop had conditional license

Suspect in fatal crash with cop had conditional license

Jose Borbon, the Plainview man who is accused of causing a drunken driving accident that killed Suffolk police Officer Glen Ciano early yesterday, was driving on a conditional driver's license issued after he was charged last month with a DWI in Nassau County.

After Borbon, 23, was charged with DWI and his license was suspended, he petitioned the state Department of Motor Vehicles for a conditional license for those charged with drunken driving offenses, said Eric Phillips, spokesman for Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice. The DMV on Feb. 5 approved Borbon for the conditional license, which allows users to drive in six distinct circumstances.

The conditional license allows those facing DWI charges to drive to and from work, rehabilitation centers, school or their children's school, a doctor's office and the DMV. It also gives the motorist a weekly three-hour window in which to drive to conduct errands like grocery shopping, according to the DMV's Web site. 

The conditional license is issued solely at the discretion of the DMV in Albany, which does not conduct in-person interviews before deciding whether to approve such a request.

The Suffolk district attorney's office could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Through Phillips, Rice said local prosecutors should have a say in who is issued a conditional license. Phillips said Rice has lobbied to make obtaining a conditional license more difficult. The DMV is reviewing the matter and will issue a report in May, Phillips said. "District Attorney Rice is hopeful that the report will include the types of changes that will keep licenses out of the hands of our community's most dangerous drivers," Phillips said in an e-mail. 

DMV officials did not immediately respond to messages yesterday. 

Borbon's Nassau DWI charge stems from Jan. 4, when he was pulled over at 4:25 a.m. in Plainview after he failed to signal and ignored a no-turn-on-red sign while making a right turn, Phillips said. Borbon's blood-alcohol level was measured at .17 percent, more than twice the legal limit to drive in New York, Phillips said. 

According to court records, Borbon was charged with drunken driving, as well as holding more than one license, criminal possession of a weapon, not signaling and failure to obey a traffic device. His next court date in that case is in April.

Nassau officers said they also found a switchblade in Borbon's pocket during that arrest, which led to a charge of criminal possession of a weapon. 

Drivers who are convicted of drunken driving charges in New York may enter the DMV's Drinking Driver rehabilitation program. But because Borbon's case was still pending, he had not yet entered that program. 

Borbon also was involved in four separate accidents in 2006, records show, and his license had been suspended three times, including once this year.

Also in 2007, Borbon was convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession in Hillsborough County, Fla.

Borbon's attorney, William Petrillo of Rockville Centre, wouldn't comment on Borbon's criminal history or driving record.

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Boy critically injured in crash involving man with DWI history

A 2 year Boy, critically injured in crash involving man with DWI history

Arlington police officers arrested a man who they say has a history of DWI arrests after his pickup slammed into a car and critically injured a 2-year-old boy late Friday, police said. 

Officers arrested Stewart Richardson, 44, of Davenport, Iowa, on a charge of intoxication assault with serious bodily injury. He was taken to Medical Center of Arlington, police said. Later Saturday, he was being held at the Arlington Jail, where his bail had not been set. 

The incident happened about 10:45 p.m. Friday when a Honda Accord carrying three people was stopped at a red light in the 4900 block of South Cooper Street at Oak Village Boulevard in south Arlington, spokesman Lt. Blake Miller said in a news release. While the car was stopped, a Ford pickup hit the back of the Honda. The force of impact pushed the car into the intersection, where it struck another car, Miller said. 

Paramedics took 2-year-old Abdallah Khader of Arlington, who was sitting in the Honda’s back seat, to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth in critical condition, police said. 

Paramedics also took the driver of the Honda, 43-year-old Fahad Khader of Arlington, to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth in an unknown condition, police said. The Honda’s other passenger and the driver of the other car weren’t taken to the hospital, police said. 

“We need to continue to get the message out about the dangers of drinking and driving,” Miller wrote in an e-mail. “We have a 2-year-old fighting for his life.” 

Last month, the Arlington Police Department announced that it would start a 60-day plan to try to reduce the city’s increase in major traffic accidents and traffic fatalities. Under the two-month plan, police are targeting aggressive and speeding drivers or drivers who appear to be under the influence, police said. Officers are also joining Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officials in checking bars.

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On-duty L.I. police officer killed in fiery car crash

On-duty L.I. police officer killed in fiery car crash; DWI arrest at the scene

Police investigate the scene where an on-duty officer was killed in a fiery crash caused by a drunk driver.

A drunken driver who had been busted for DWI just last month broadsided a veteran Long Island cop's car early Sunday, killing the 45-year-old officer in a fiery crash, cops said.

Suffolk County Officer Glen Ciano was on duty and en route to help his partner when he died - leaving cops and advocates asking how the reckless motorist still had a license. 

Jose Borbon of Plainview plowed his 2007 Dodge Magnum into the squad car at Vanderbilt Motor Parkway and Commack Road in Commack about 4:15 a.m., police said. 

Borbon, who was not injured, stayed at the scene and was charged with DWI - his second DWI rap in less than two months. 

"Somebody with a DWI under their belt clearly doesn't belong on our streets," said Wiley Norvell, spokesman for Transportation Alternatives. 

"It's clear that when people drive drunk they give up their privilege to drive, and we should have the guts to enforce it." 

Ciano, a father of two who lived in Bayport, was making a left-hand turn when his car was struck, sending it spinning into a utility pole. The car caught fire and quickly exploded, witnesses and cops said. 

Borbon was busted in Nassau County on Jan. 4 on charges of drunken driving, holding more than one license, criminal possession of a gun and various moving violations, court documents show. 

He still held a conditional license that allowed him to drive to specific locations set by the state's drunken driver rehab program. 

Borbon's license had also been suspended in 2007 after he was involved in four crashes in one year, records show. It was reinstated two months later. 

Chief Dominic Varrone of the Suffolk County police said Ciano was a highly regarded veteran with 22 years on the force. 

A steady stream of mourners and well-wishers brought flowers to the scene of the crash, and flags hung at half-staff at the 2nd Precinct stationhouse in Huntington as officers mourned the loss of one of their own. 

Ciano's neighbors described him as a devoted husband and father who went out of his way to help friends repair cars, fix lawn mowers - and even hang holiday lights. 

"He always helped," said neighbor Ina Scotto, 69. "He was a very good man. He was a very good father." 

Witnesses heard the crash from the McDonald's across the street. 

"There was an explosion, and I saw a lot of fire," said Daisy Ramirez, 37. "I went outside and saw a mangled wreck of steel and rubber." 

The flames erupted so rapidly there was no chance of rescuing Ciano from the car, cops said. 

According to Borbon's MySpace page, he is a father of twins and has a young wife. 

Next-door neighbors on Borbon's block say he comes from a good family and that he liked to work on his car in the driveway of the home where he lived with his parents. He was often seen on weekends washing and waxing the Dodge Magnum without a shirt, neighbors said. 

Borbon's family was huddled Sunday in their tidy home, but his mother said they would not comment until they had spoken to a lawyer.

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Six arrested for DWI in GF overnight

MORNING UPDATE -- Six arrested for DWI in GF overnight

GLENS FALLS -- Six people were arrested by Glens Falls Police for driving while intoxicated in a 10-hour period Thursday and Friday, including a man who hit another vehicle and tried to flee, police said.

The driver in that case, James V. Rispoli, 34, of Queensbury hit another vehicle from behind a Bay and Lexington streets at 7:12 p.m., then drove off, said Glens Falls Police Sgt. John Winchell. The other driver was not hurt.

A witness who saw the crash followed him, and he drove north to Quaker Road, headed east and then came back into Glens Falls and parked his car in a driveway on Ridge Street, Winchell said. The witness followed him there, and police took Rispoli into custody without incident, according to Winchell.

Rispoli refused to take a breath test, and was charged with misdemeanor DWI and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. He was arraigned in City Court and sent to Warren County Jail for lack of bail.

According to police, arrested later in the night were;

* Michael F. Smith, 34, of Queen Ann Way, Queensbury, who was charged with aggravated DWI, a misdemeanor, after he was pulled over at 4:44 a.m. for going through a red light at the intersection of Sherman Avenue and Glen Street, Winchell said. His blood-alcohol content was found to be 0.20 percent, more than double the 0.08 percent threshold for DWI. He was released pending prosecution in City Court. 

* Ryan V. Ross, 24, of Glens Falls, who was also charged with aggravated DWI after he was pulled over for speeding 52 mph in a 30 mph zone on Warren Street at 12:30 a.m. His BAC was found to be 0.19 percent, and he was released pending prosecution in City Court.

* Wesley C. Garnsey, 25, of South Glens Falls was charged with misdemeanor DWI after he was seen driving out of his lane in Centennial Circle and speeding 47 mph in a 30 mph zone on Glen Street. His BAC was found to be 0.17 percent and was released.

* Danielle R. Nassivera, 30, of Moreau was arrested at 3:58 a.m. when she was seen driving without headlights on Elm Street. Her BAC was found to be 0.15 percent and she was charged with misdemeanor DWI and released.

* Matthew T. Burke, 24, of Saratoga Springs was charged at 3:32 a.m. after he was seen going through a red light on Broad Street. His BAC was found to be 0.12 percent and he was also charged with misdemeanor DWI and released. 

The arrests were made by Winchell and Glens Falls Police officers Joe Boisclair, Dan Habshi, Tony Lydon and Shawn Lovelace.

Winchell said police have had other overnight periods with six or more DWI arrests, though it has been a while since they had a night wth that many arrests.

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Legislator pushes for tougher DWI laws

Legislator pushes for tougher DWI laws

A state senator whose family was touched by a fatal DWI accident is continuing his fight against drunk drivers by pushing for tougher laws.

Sen. Kent Cravens (R-Albuquerque) is on a crusade that would put more ignition interlocks into cars of drunk drivers and put them in earlier.

"If a person is caught driving a car without an ignition interlock - and they don't have an ignition interlock license - in other words they're just completely driving on a revoked license - that vehicle would be immobilized and actually subject to forfeiture," he said.

Ken Cravens is the brother of Paul Cravens, whose family was killed by Gordon House in a DWI crash in 1992.

Another Cravens bill would require an interlock during the time between a DWI arrest and the trial or guilty plea.

About 1,000 people a year in New Mexico are arrested for DWI during that period. 

Opponents of the measure said it would be unfair--that the law would punish people before they are convicted.

The Cravens bills are scheduled for a crucial hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Saturday.

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Cazenovia woman charged with DWI

Cazenovia woman charged with DWI

CAZENOVIA, N.Y. -- A Cazenovia woman who first made news three years ago for providing alcohol to high schoolers now faces charges of driving drunk.

State Police stopped Kelly Lobrutto, 47, Friday night for a traffic violation and then arrested her for DWI. 

Lobrutto was arrested back in 2006 for buying alcohol for an underage party at her house attended by more than 20 Cazenovia High School students. She was sentenced to probation in that case.

State Police say she will be back in court in a couple weeks to answer to the DWI charge.

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