Unsteady on the Roads

Kenneth W. Kalbacher, 58, of East Hampton, was arrested on a drunken driving charge Saturday night, just one month after his prior case on driving while intoxicated charges had been plea-bargained down in East Hampton Town Justice Court. The earlier charge, at the misdemeanor level, was reduced to driving with ability impaired by alcohol, a violation, on Sept. 21. East Hampton Town Justice Lisa R. Rana highlighted that fact during Mr. Kalbacher’s Sunday morning arraignment on the new charge, also a misdemeanor.

He had been pulled over Saturday in a 1998 Audi on South Emerson Avenue in Montauk, just past the I.G.A. Police said a burned-out driver’s side taillight was the reason for the stop. “I’m suspending your driving privileges on two counts,” Justice Rana said during the arraignment. The first reason, she said, was because he has the prior conviction, within the past five years. The second reason, she said, was “based upon your refusal to take the Intoxilyzer test.” That is the breath test given at headquarters to determine the level of alcohol in the blood.

Justice Rana initially set bail at $300 Sunday morning. However, when she learned that police had left his wallet in the car after the arrest, Justice Rana agreed to release him without bail, with a warning that he must not miss any court appearances. 

Wilson Mortensen Guichay-Gutama, 35, of Springs was behind the wheel of a 2000 G.M.C. van early Friday morning on Montauk Highway in Wainscott when he was pulled over for allegedly tailgating. When the officer ran his license, he discovered that Mr. Guichay-Gutama’s driving privileges in the state had been suspended for failing to answer a summons. After Friday’s traffic stop, Mr. Guichay-Gutama failed roadside sobriety tests, police said. 

“I had seven Heineken beers last night,” he reportedly told the arresting officer. “The last one was at about 10 p.m.” 

The stop had been made a little after 5 a.m. He was arrested on drunken driving charges, as well as unlicensed driving. All charges were at the misdemeanor level. At headquarters, a breath test produced a reading of .14 of 1 percent. A reading of .08 or higher leads to the D.W.I. charge. Bail was set the next morning at $200, which was posted.

Steven Ronald Hildreth, 57, was arraigned last Thursday morning after being arrested in Montauk the night before. From Floral Park, he was driving a 1998 Ford pickup on Flamingo Avenue, moving at 55 miles per hour, where the limit is 40. He was charged with unlicensed driving, as well, after it was discovered that his license had been suspended after he failed to answer a summons out of Nassau County in July. His breath test at headquarters produced a reading of .09. He was released without bail.

Evan M. Hoffman, 30, of Springs, was driving a 2016 Dodge pickup north on Springs-Fireplace Road near Hildreth Place, swerving onto the shoulder of the road, police said, around midnight on Oct. 17. 

The arresting officer reported that Mr. Hoffman appeared to be under the influence of drugs, and failed sobriety tests.

At headquarters, after speaking on the phone to his attorney, Michael Griffith, he refused to allow blood to be drawn to test to see what drugs, if any, were in his system, according to court documents. He was released without bail the next morning, but with a future date on Justice Rana’s criminal calendar.