Police Say Hudson Valley Man Drove 3X Over Legal BAC Limit

Another case of a person who should not have been on the road.

Offcials say a New York man was charged with felony DWI after being arrested Sunday evening. Police say that calls began to pour in that evening about an erratic driver on I-84. And according to police, the suspect had multiple warrants out for his arrest for previous DWIs.

In this particular instance, state police say the suspect was way over the legal limit.

Police Say They Orange County Man Drove 3 Times Over BAC Limit

The New York State police said in a press release that troopers responded to Interstate 84 westbound in the town of Wallkill for multiple 911 calls reporting an erratic operator late Sunday.

State police say they stopped the vehicle and identified the operator as a 46-year-old man from Middletown, NY. While being interviewed by troopers it was determined that he was impaired by alcohol, and he was subsequently arrested for Driving While Intoxicated. Police transported the suspect to Middletown for processing, where his Blood Alcohol Content was determined to be  0.24% BAC. That is three times over the state's legal limit of 0.08%.

See Also: Police Say New York Man Rammed Victim's Vehicle Off Road

State police say they also discovered that the same suspect had a bench warrant out of Orange County Court for felony DWI from 2015 and had a warrant for DWI out of Newburgh City Court for an arrest in March of 2023 where he provided a false name.

The man was then charged with Felony DWI and transported to Orange County jail pending arraignment at Orange County court.

Difference Between Felony and Aggravated DWI in New York State 

Some may confuse Felony DWI with an Aggravated DWI in the state of New York. What's the difference between the two exactly?

According to Tilem & Associates, Aggravated DWI is committed when a person is caught operating a vehicle with a BAC of .18% or higher. However, Aggravated DWI, despite its enhanced penalties, is not a felony rather it is a misdemeanor, according to the firm's website.