Report of U-Haul Driving Erratically Results in Second DWI Arrest For Saugerties Man

For the second time in four months, a Saugerties man was arrested on DWI charges, and for the second time, also tried to flee the scene from officers.  61-year-old Kenneth Beams was arrested on multiple charges following the incident that occurred on Wednesday Evening in Ulster County.

Saugerties Man Arrested on Multiple Charges Following Call to Police

Just after 8:15 pm on Wednesday, October 15, 2022, Saugerties Police reported responding to a call they received indicating that a U-Haul truck was spotted swerving on and off Blue Mountain Road in Saugerties.

The complaint, which came from a civilian on the roadway, had reported 'that the U-Haul truck nearly struck two mailboxes, a fence, and then ran off the roadway, overcorrecting and veering back onto the roadway and into oncoming traffic.'

In their press release, the Saugerties Police Department indicated that the U-Haul was located by responding officers on Pine Tree Lane.  Further investigation revealed that 61-year-old Beams was the operator of said vehicle that was called in earlier for driving erratically. Police report that a 'brief foot chase ensued' and then resulted in Beams being taken into custody, where he was later processed at Saugerties Police Headquarters and completed a chemical test.

Results from the test indicated that Beams had a BAC of .21%.  Reports also indicate that Beams was involved in a similar incident in late June where he was arrested on DWI charges that resulted in the revocation of his operating privileges.

Beams was charged with the following after his arrest on 10/12:

• Driving While Intoxicated
• Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated BAC over .18%
• Obstruction of Governmental Administration
• Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the 1st Degree.

June 2022 DWI Incident Involving Beams

Saugerties Police report that on June 23rd, just before 9:30 pm, while patrolling the area of 330 Route 212, they observed a vehicle that had 'run off the roadway and was stuck on top of rebar used to support framing for a freshly poured sidewalk.'

The operator of the vehicle, later identified as Kenneth Beams, again attempted to flee the scene once noticing the police.  He was apprehended, taken into custody, and brought to the Saugerties Police Department Headquarters where he again completed a breath test and was reported to have a BAC of .24, which is three times over the legal limit.

It was during this June arrest that his operator privileges were revoked.