Police in New York took a Glen Cove man into custody on drunk driving charges on the night of Sept. 6 after receiving a tip. The 37-year-old man faces counts of driving while intoxicated, aggravated DWI, failing to maintain a single lane, consuming alcohol while operating a motor vehicle and failing to yield the right of way.
Police respond to suspected drunk driver call
The events that led to the man’s arrest began when emergency operators received a call about a possible drunk driver in Mattituck. The caller said that a car was weaving between lanes on Route 25 near a King Kullen supermarket. An officer from the Southold Town Police Department spotted a vehicle that matched the description given by the caller at approximately 6:09 p.m. The officer reportedly signaled the vehicle to pull over after observing several motor vehicle violations.
Transported to police headquarters
According to a local media report, the driver was taken into custody and transported to STPD headquarters after the officer determined that the man was intoxicated. The charge sheet indicates that the man has not been charged with drunk driving in the past. However, initial reports do not reveal if the man took a breath test or what his blood alcohol concentration was at the time of the traffic stop.
Toxicology evidence in DWI cases
Prosecutors usually use breath or blood test results to establish intoxication in drunk driving cases, but this kind of evidence is not always as compelling as it first appears. Attorneys with criminal defense experience may challenge the reliability of toxicology test results if breath-testing equipment was not maintained properly, blood samples were mishandled or the officers involved failed to adhere to strict testing protocols. Attorneys might also raise questions about BAC evidence when DWI suspects suffer from medical conditions such as diabetes or gastroesophageal reflux disease.