Police Say Man Arrested For Felony DWI Leandra’s Law In New York’s Hudson Valley

New York State Police reports that a man was stopped and arrested for driving while intoxicated late Sunday night. Offcials also say that the suspect was traveling with a small child in the vehicle, at the time he was pulled over. The suspect is now facing a felony charge, says a police report.

Leandra's Law is a New York state law that strengthens penalties for driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle. The law was named after 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed on the Henry Hudson Parkway in October 2009.

Rosenblum Law says that the only New York DWI offense for which a first-time offender is subject to a felony charge is “aggravated driving while intoxicated, with a child,” a class E felony defined as driving while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs with a child passenger aged fifteen years or younger.

Police Say Man Arrested For Felony DWI Leandra's Law In New York's Hudson Valley

New York State Police said in a press release that on May 18, at approximately 10:20 PM, a trooper from the East Fishkill barracks initiated a traffic stop on a 2006 Toyota traveling eastbound on Interstate 84 in the Town of Fishkill for multiple traffic violations.

See Also: Police Say New York State Man Drove Drunk, Crashed Three Times

During the stop, troopers say that the driver, identified as a 27-year-old man from Carmel, exhibited signs of intoxication. The driver was administered standardized field sobriety tests, which police report he subsequently failed. Further investigation by police revealed that a 3-year-old child was also present in the vehicle at the time of the stop.

The suspect was arrested and transported to State Police barracks in East Fishkill for processing. At the station, he provided a breath sample that resulted in a BAC of 0.15%. The child was safely turned over to a sober third party.

New York State Police says that the suspect was charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger Under 16 (Leandra’s Law) (E Felony), Driving While Intoxicated (unclassified misdemeanor), and multiple vehicle and traffic violations.