Crime & Safety
Disabled Vehicle Check Leads To A Felony DWI Arrest: NYSP
After the man in the driver's seat refused a breath test, troopers say they found he had a prior DWI conviction within the past 10 years.
WEST NYACK, NY — An investigation into a car stopped on the interstate highway led to a felony arrest, according to state police.
New York State Police say that on Thursday, around 7:30 p.m., a trooper saw a disabled vehicle stopped on the left shoulder of I-87 in the area of mile marker 18.8, in West Nyack.
The trooper reports finding a man in the driver's seat, identified as Kenny Varma, who had signs of impairment, including the odor of alcohol coming from his breath.
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Varma was then asked to exit the vehicle and submit to Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs), which he failed.
He was arrested and taken to State Police Tarrytown for processing., where he was read the DWI refusal warnings, but refused to submit to a chemical breath test, NYSP said.
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State police determined that Varma had a prior DWI conviction within the past 10 years.
He was charged with felony driving while intoxicated, refusal to submit to a chemical test, driving on the shoulder, unsafe lane change, and stopping/standing on the highway.
Varma was issued appearance tickets returnable to the Town of Clarkstown Court and then released to a sober third party.
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