DWI Blogs

Saugerties police said a vehicle driven by Christopher R. Whitehead, 31, of Jane Street in the Village of Saugerties, went off High Falls Road just after 5 p.m. Sunday. The person reporting the accident told police the car was being pulled out from where it landed by a truck, and when police arrived the vehicle was gone.


Shortly afterward, police got a 911 call reporting the same vehicle was driving erratically all over a roadway in the village. An off-duty police officer and a civilian witness were able to stop the vehicle and keep both the vehicle and the driver at the scene until officers arrived.

Source: Read more

ASHEVILLE – Buncombe County's new top prosecutor has hired an assistant district attorney who wrecked his car six years ago while taking prescription drugs.

Rodney Hasty was later convicted of driving while impaired.

District Attorney Todd Williams says Hasty was taking the drugs — carisoprodol and meprobamate — for a medical condition. He describes Hasty as a solid prosecutor with years of experience.

But one major crime victim advocate is already questioning Williams' decision.

Ellen Pitt, of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, says some crime victims and law enforcement officers "view this decision as an insult."

Hasty resigned following his 2009 arrest. Then-District Attorney Ron Moore said he had been a good prosecutor.



source: http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2015/01/05/buncombe-da-hires-assistant-dwi-conviction/21298519/

He's no wiseguy.

Cake Boss's Buddy Valastro took to Twitter on Monday to apologize for driving while intoxicated last month.

"I thought I was fine to drive, but I wasn't. I put people in danger. I am very disappointed in myself," he wrote in one Tweet, adding, "I'll never get behind the wheel of a car again, even after one sip."

Police arrested the TLC star Nov. 13 in New York City. Valastro, owner of Carlo's Bakery in New Jersey, had been spotted swerving in his yellow Corvette just after 1 a.m. His blood-alcohol level was just above the legal limit.

A Rochester woman accused of driving drunk twice in a three-hour span last weekend was also twice previously convicted of driving while ability impaired.

Catherine M. Butler, 26, faces misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charges after she was arrested twice early Saturday morning while driving on Buffalo Road in Gates while dressed in a zombie costume, said Lt. Jon Ballard of the Gates Police Department.

Gates Police Chief Jim VanBrederode said it appeared that Butler had attended a zombie Halloween party at a Gates bar earlier that night.

Butler was initially stopped on Buffalo Road near Howard Road, about 2 a.m. Butler was allegedly driving without headlights when she was stopped by a Gates police officer, Ballard said.

Butler was taken to the Gates Police Department and charged before a friend picked her up.


Source: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2014/10/28/woman-charged-dwi-twice-hours/18053881/

BURLINGTON — A Burlington man was charged with DWI Sunday after police say he caused a wreck resulting in a car crashing into a building.
Jose Manuel Galvan, of 4026 S. Church St., was charged with driving while intoxicated, driving without an operators' license and failure to yield the right-of-way.
He was driving south on Albany Street at 5:40 p.m. Sunday and tried to make a left turn onto Maple Avenue, according to Burlington police.
Galvan didn't yield to an oncoming vehicle that had the right-of-way, according to police, and the two cars crashed in the intersection.
The other vehicle went off the road and struck the building at Ray's Mini Storage, 1907 Maple Ave., police said.
Galvan, the driver of the other vehicle and a passenger in that vehicle were taken to Alamance Regional Medical Center for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.


Source : https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5791323991944038855#editor/target=post;postID=735575301038720664

An 11-year-old boy has died after his drunken stepdad crashed their car into a light pole in Brooklyn on Sunday, likely leading to harsher charges against the man, authorities said.
Anthony Pollydore, 65 — who has already been convicted twice of drunken driving — learned that he had killed his stepson, Dylan, shortly before being arraigned on vehicular-assault and other related charges in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Monday.
Those charges are expected to be upgraded to vehicular manslaughter at Pollydore’s next court appearance Friday, sources said.
The stepad remained stoic, still dressed in the all-white three-piece suit he was wearing at the time of the crash, and said nothing as a judge suspended his driver’s license and ordered him held without bail.


Source : http://nypost.com/2014/03/24/11-year-old-dies-after-stepfathers-dwi-crash/

Houston-A suspected drunken driver has been charged after a fatal crash on the East Loop South.

It happened around 3:20 a.m. Saturday.

Houston police say a 23-year-old woman was driving a Honda Civic  northbound on the East Loop she drove into a concrete wall and back into moving traffic.
Officials say the Honda was then hit by a Jeep Wrangler driven by 24-year-old Danny Sandoval.

The driver of the Honda was killed and her passenger, a 23-year-old man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Houston police say Sandoval was not injured in the crash. He was questioned and then taken into custody.

Sandoval is charged with driving while intoxicated.


Source : http://www.click2houston.com/news/man-charged-with-dwi-in-east-loop-fatal-crash/25133938

SANTA FE – A Santa Fe woman who was driving drunk in a wrong-way Interstate 25 crash last year that injured a pregnant woman – forcing the premature birth of her baby – was sentenced Monday to 90 days in jail.

District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer agreed to give Leela Perez, 27, a conditional discharge, meaning Perez’s record will be cleared if she completes supervised probation after her jail time. The judge told Perez the requirements of her five years’ probation, including three with a GPS bracelet and hundreds of hours of community service, are going to “cost you a lot.”

Marlowe said she was not swayed by a gallery filled with dozens of Perez supporters who praised her volunteer work teaching children in Guatemala and South Korea, and working with child land-mine victims in Cambodia.

“I have to think of the victims in this case,” the judge said, adding she didn’t care if Perez’s group filled the courtroom. “You have not spent time in jail,” the judge told Perez, “and you need to.”


Source : http://www.abqjournal.com/373847/news/90-days-5-years-probation-for-woman-in-wrongway-dwi-crash.html

INDIANAPOLIS — Police say they found multiple prescription drugs in Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay’s vehicle after he was arrested on suspicion of intoxicated driving.

Police in the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel say Irsay was stopped late Sunday after he was spotted driving slowly, coming to a stop in the roadway and failing to use a turn signal.

Police say the 54-year-old Irsay failed several roadside field sobriety tests before he was arrested. Police didn’t release any information about a blood-alcohol test being given to Irsay.

Carmel police said the drugs found in Irsay’s vehicle weren’t associated with any prescription bottles found inside.

Irsay is being held at the Hamilton County Jail under $22,500 bond. A spokeswoman for Irsay declined immediate comment. An NFL spokesman says he is subject to discipline.


Source: http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2014/03/colts-owner-jim-irsay-arrested-for-dwi/

KNOX COUNTY, Ind. - An Indiana mom was arrested late Sunday on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana with her 4-year-old son in the back seat, Indiana State Police said.

About 11 p.m., police spotted a 2004 Chevrolet Impala swerving on Willow Street in Vincennes. When the ISP trooper stopped and approached the driver, he smelled the strong odor of burning marijuana.

The driver was identified as Radiance Diane Hagler-Grant, 22, of Vincennes. While walking around the vehicle, a K-9 officer detected narcotics. A full search revealed a small amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and her 4-year-old son was in the back seat.


Source:http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/indiana-state-police-mom-arrested-on-dwi-charges-with-4-year-old-son

ORCHARD PARK (WIVB) DWI charges were upgraded to class D felony charges for 24 year-old Laura Lukasiak following her DWI arrest Saturday evening.

OP Police say they responded to a report of a possible intoxicated driver just after 7 p.m. Saturday.

Lukasiak, of Orchard Park, was operating a 2008 Saturn northbound on North Buffalo St. from the Village of Orchard Park. Police located the vehicle a short time later on Orchard Park Road and was observed speeding and weaving out of the lane.

The vehicle was pulled over and Lukasiak was given field sobriety tests and subsequently arrested for DWI. She was returned to the police station where she refused to submit to a breathalyzer test.

The DWI charge was upgraded to a class D felony due to two prior driving while intoxicated convictions in the past 10 years. One in Orchard Park one in West Seneca.

Lukasiak was arraigned in the town of Orchard Park court and was released after posting $1000 bail.


Source:http://wivb.com/2014/03/09/op-woman-arrested-for-felony-dwi/

A Merrimack man who was charged in connection with a vandalism spree three years ago was arrested on drunken driving charges Saturday after crashing into a telephone pole and then leaving the scene of the accident.

Devan French, 20, was charged with driving while intoxicated underage, operating after revocation, conduct after an accident and alcohol possession by a minor.

Around 7 a.m. Saturday, members of the Merrimack Police Department responded to a single car motor vehicle accident involving a telephone pole in the area of Baboosic Lake Road and Marty Drive. Upon arrival, it was determined that the operator of the vehicle had left the area.



Source: http://merrimack.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/former-teen-vandal-charged-with-dwi-after-crashing-car

During the early morning hours of Feb. 27, McDonald's employees notified police about a suspected drunken driver.

The man they were concerned about had been released from the county jail hours before.

When police arrived to investigate, he tried to outrun them, making it a few blocks before colliding with another car, killing its driver, Cynthia Partida.

Police think the man, Christopher Cordil-Cortinas, was driving drunk - again.

A three-time convicted DWI offender, Cordil-Cortinas' actions set off a debate about whether repeat DWI offenders should be dealt harsher punishments.


Source:http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2014/mar/08/dwi_cases_jrp_030914_234608/?news

QUEENSBURY — A Queensbury man was arrested late Saturday night for allegedly driving while intoxicated.

Jay Sherman was stopped on the Northway at 11 p.m. He was charged with two felonies of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and DWI with two previous convictions within 10 years, according to the New York State Police blotter.

He also faces a misdemeanor charge of using another vehicle without an interlock ignition device.



Source: http://poststar.com/news/blotter/queensbury-man-charged-with-dwi/article_b3f38338-a7ce-11e3-b50d-001a4bcf887a.html

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Through the use of a translator, the family of the pregnant woman who was struck by an allegedly drunk off-duty FDNY firefighter in the Bronx says the woman and her premature baby girl are showing signs of improvement.
“Baby is now very nice, is good. And last night, she feel good now,” the neighbor said on behalf of the family.
As 1010 WINS’ Juliet Papa reported Friday, 42-year-old Mamtaz Begun was seven months pregnant when she was hit by a car driven by Sean Farrell, a lieutenant with the FDNY’s Battalion 16 in Harlem.
The accident happened at the intersection of White Plains Road and Westchester Avenue around 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
Begun was walking across the street with a 39-year-old friend when they were struck. She was on the way home from a doctor visit at the time of the accident, Papa reported.
Begun was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, where the baby girl was delivered successfully.
Farrell remained at the scene of the accident, told officers he had drank two beers and refused to take a Breathalyzer test, police said. He was charged with DWI and refusing to take a breath test.


Source:http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/03/07/neighbor-conditions-improving-for-woman-premature-baby-delivered-after-dwi-accident/

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers will increase DWI patrols now through March 23, coinciding with spring break. DPS troopers will focus on DWI patrols in locations when alcohol-related crashes are most frequent and areas with high concentrations of spring break activity.
During last year’s spring break, DPS troopers made more than 1,000 DWI arrests. DPS enforcement also issued more than 11,400 speeding citations, 1,600 seat belt/child safety seat tickets, and made 552 fugitive arrests and 463 felony arrests last year during spring break.
DPS spokeswoman Elena Viramontes said she did not know the exact number of DWI patrols that will be added during spring break, but that “everyone that is available will be working.”
 “All of us go out and work throughout that period,” Viramontes said. “We’re just trying to make sure that all the citizens are safe.
DPS officials advise drivers to slow down, eliminate distractions like cell phones while driving, use their seatbelts and refrain from driving fatigued. They also asked drivers to make sure their vehicles are properly maintained before taking a trip.
The enhanced patrols that target intoxicated drivers are funded by a Texas Department of Transportation grant.
TxDOT spokesperson Mark Cross said it was important for the agency to issue a grant for this time frame due to the rising number of fatalities occurring on Texas roads in connection with alcohol consumption.
During the 2013 spring break period, 30 percent of all people killed on Texas roadways were involved in a DUI alcohol related crash, and DUI deaths increased by 23 percent compared to 2012.


Source: http://www.oaoa.com/news/crime_justice/law_enforcement/article_18752378-a64b-11e3-8833-0017a43b2370.html

ROTTERDAM - A woman was charged with drunken driving after a traffic stop on Interstate 890 on Thursday, State Police said.

Lena M. Terry of Schenectady was pulled over after she failed to use the directional signal when she changed lanes, troopers said.

Terry allegedly had a blood alcohol content of .18 percent, more than double the legal limit — .08 percent — to be charged with driving while intoxicated.

She was charged with aggravated DWI and ordered to appear in town court on March 20.



Source:http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Schenectady-woman-charged-with-DWI-5297646.php