Close to 50 Hudson Valley Drivers Charged in DWI Crackdown Weekend
Police arrested nearly 50 drivers in the Hudson Valley for allegedly driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol as part of a recent statewide DWI crackdown. Read on to learn about the crackdown, and if you or someone you know is charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) in Orange County, contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer to evaluate your case.
St. Patrick’s Day crackdown leads to nearly 50 DWI charges in Hudson Valley
Police across New York State conducted a coordinated effort to reduce drunk driving accidents around St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Officials pointed to the high incidence of drunk driving accidents around St. Patrick’s Day historically; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported over 269 drunk-driving-related fatalities over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period from 2012-2016. The crackdown efforts included adding sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and police stings focused on underage drinking and sale to minors. Police in Orange County and across the Hudson Valley, among other places, participated in the crackdown.
As a result of the crackdown, police in the Hudson Valley arrested nearly 50 drivers in the Hudson Valley for alleged DWI offenses. Several were charged with felony offenses.
Expect additional DWI crackdowns over Memorial Day & upcoming holiday weekends
New York State holds STOP-DWI Crackdowns over various weekends throughout the year, particularly over weekends with higher incidence of drunk or impaired driving–such as those around St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Labor Day and Memorial Day. The crackdowns are intended to be highly publicized and visible campaigns to reduce drunk driving. The STOP-DWI weekends are supported by funding provided by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
There will be a STOP-DWI crackdown this coming Memorial Day Weekend, meaning additional police presence, sobriety checkpoints, and a strong focus on drunk or distracted driving. Over Memorial Day Weekend in 2017, for example, state police serving Dutchess, Columbia, Putnam and Westchester counties issued nearly 1,200 tickets and charged 41 drivers with DWI as part of the statewide DWI crackdown.
The STOP-DWI Program has several recommendations to avoid drunk driving incidents
The Program issued recommendations to prevent drunk driving incidents, including designating a sober driver, calling a sober friend or cab to pick you up if you do not have a sober driver, staying put and sleeping it off if you do not have a sober ride, keeping an eye on drunk friends if you think they may drive drunk, always buckling up, and contacting local police if you see a drunk driver on the road.
If you or someone you love have been arrested for DWI/DWAI or other offenses in Goshen, Orange County or anywhere in the Hudson Valley region, contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at Dupée & Monroe, P.C. at 845-294-8900 (Goshen) for immediate assistance.
