Bronx Man Charged With DWI

A Bronx man faces a driving while intoxicated charge after police say he was driving drunk and without a valid driver's license when he crashed into a concrete barrier on Westchester Avenue.

On Feb. 26, at about 5:30 p.m., Harrison Police found Alberto Ortiz, 33, of the Bronx, asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle, which was pinned against a concrete barrier on Westchester Avenue near the White Plains Avenue intersection. 

After placing the vehicle in park and waking up Ortiz, police report that the driver first handed over a $20 bill, then a military I.D. card before producing a Georgia driver's license. Police also noticed the smell of alcohol.

Ortiz told police that he had consumed more than half a dozen rum and cokes at a retirement party before taking to the road. He added that he crashed into the barrier to avoid another speeding vehicle and fell asleep after the crash.

Police placed Ortiz under arrest and did not conduct a field sobriety test because there was no adequate place nearby. A blood-alcohol test conducted at police headquarters revealed a BAC of .14 percent, the legal limit to drive in New York State is .08 percent.

Police later found that Ortiz also had a suspended license and an active bench warrant out of Port Chester. He was given a court date of March 1 and released on $100 cash bail.