Police in upstate New York have reported that a 17-year-old boy was taken into custody on suspicion of drunk driving after a traffic stop in Niagara County on March 7. The Pendleton resident was charged with driving while intoxicated and cited for a number of traffic violations, including speeding and making unsafe lane changes.
According to a New York State Police report, the teenager’s vehicle was pulled over after troopers observed it being driven erratically on South Transit Road in Lockport. Troopers claim that the vehicle was tailgating and moving between traffic lanes at a high rate of speed. Troopers say that they suspected that they were dealing with a drunk driving situation after reportedly detecting the odor of alcohol on the teenager’s breath.
The teenager was taken into custody after troopers say that he performed poorly during a series of field sobriety tests. The boy was transported to a New York State Police facility in Lockport where a breath test is said to have revealed that his blood alcohol level was .14 percent. The legal driving limit in New York is .08 percent.
A drunk driving conviction can lead to severe consequences for individuals under the age of 21. In addition to possible fines, probation and a loss of their driving privileges, younger offenders may find it difficult to gain admittance to institutions of higher education or secure employment when a DWI is discovered during routine background checks. A criminal defense attorney may seek to assist young motorists facing drunk driving charges by challenging the evidence relied upon by prosecutors. Field sobriety tests may not always be a reliable indicator of impairment, and breath testing equipment could provide misleading results if it has not been properly maintained and calibrated.
Source: New York State Police, “SP Lockport – Pendleton Man arrested for Speeding Arrested for DWI“, Major Michael J. Cerretto, March 10, 2015