A driver crashed into the home of a New York Police Department officer shortly before midnight on June 13. When the man’s Volvo entered the backyard of the officer’s Staten Island home, the crash destroyed the deck, crushed part of the pool and left a scattering of debris. The officer and his family were woken up by what they thought was an explosion.
Neighbors say that the accused drunk driver smelled strongly of alcohol when he got out of his wrecked car after the accident. Not knowing that the homeowner was an NYPD officer, the driver reportedly pleaded with him not to call the police and said that he would pay for the property damage. The man was arrested for drunk driving that morning, but he had been released from custody by the evening.
The alleged drunk driver returned to the NYPD officer’s house on the evening after the accident to apologize in person. He claims that he does not remember the accident, and he is waiting on toxicology test results to find out if he was under the influence of alcohol. Meanwhile, the NYPD officer is trying to get the Department of Transportation to approve a request for a guardrail along his road. Accidents are a regular occurrence in the area, according to the officer.
After a driver is involved in a serious accident, a head injury or feelings of shock could cause them to appear intoxicated. An attorney may be able to help a driver who has been falsely accused of drunk driving to dispute the evidence that may be used against them by prosecutors. If a blood test was performed, an attorney might argue that the results could be tainted from mishandling.
Source: NBC New York, “Suspected Drunk Driver Slams into NYPD Cop’s House, Returns to Apologize,” Checkey Beckford, June 13, 2016
