Despite recommendations to stay home during the Covid-19 outbreak, several people were caught drinking and driving over the weekend, two on Sunday after accidents that occurred around the same time.
A 24-year-old, whose license was already suspended due to a prior arrest for driving while intoxicated, was actually involved in two separate crashes that day. Jonathan Ivan Pena-Tacuri of Amagansett was driving a 2015 Chevrolet pickup truck south on Alewife Brook Road in Northwest when he struck a tree on the westbound shoulder, near Trails End, at about midnight. He drove away, leaving his front bumper behind.
Police found him about 15 minutes later, after he hit a parked Chevrolet pickup truck, owned by Ryan C. Struble, in the parking lot of 331 Three Mile Harbor Road, near Soak Hides Road, damaging the driver’s-side rear-end and taillight. No one else was in Mr. Pena-Tacuri’s truck, and he was not hurt.
He was charged with misdemeanor D.W.I., aggravated unlicensed operation, a felony, and several traffic infractions, including leaving the scene of an accident. Police said his license had been suspended or revoked three times: once on July 4, 2018, when he was charged with misdemeanor D.W.I. (the case is still pending), once for refusing to submit to a breath test in that same case, and a third time on Oct. 9, 2018, for failure to pay a driver’s responsibility assessment.
East Hampton Town Justice Steven Tekulsky arraigned him through a video proceeding from police headquarters in Wainscott, as courts remain closed during the pandemic. He was released on his own recognizance.
Also on Sunday shortly after midnight, a 52-year-old woman crashed into trees in a drunken-driving accident in Amagansett.
Kristen V. Peterson was driving a 2008 Mercedes-Benz west on Abram’s Landing Road, just east of Schellinger Road, where she lives, when she failed to navigate a turn, crossed into the oncoming lane, and left the road, striking two trees on its south side. Police found her alone in the car, sitting in the driver’s seat. She appeared intoxicated and performed poorly on all field sobriety tests. She declined medical attention, police reported, despite a bruise on her face. She was charged with misdemeanor D.W.I. just before 1 a.m.
Justice Tekulsky arraigned her in the morning, also by video, and released her on her own recognizance.
On Friday afternoon, John C. Farrell, 31, of Yonkers was charged with aggravated misdemeanor D.W.I. His blood-alcohol concentration was allegedly above .18, over twice the legal level.
A police officer came upon Mr. Farrell standing outside his 2018 Nissan Frontier on the westbound side of Pantigo Road, near Pantigo Place in East Hampton, at 3:45 p.m. The car’s passenger-side wheels were over the curb, the tires were flat, and Mr. Farrell, who admitted to driving, appeared intoxicated, police said. He was arraigned by Justice Lisa R. Rana and released on his own recognizance.
In Sag Harbor Village, a 22-year-old woman was also arrested for driving with a blood alcohol level above .18 on March 30.
Police received a call about an erratic driver, and an officer saw a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee being driven with a flat tire as it headed west on Brick Kiln Road just after midnight. Sofia Fernandez Nava of Sag Harbor, who was behind the wheel, had been driving on the rim, police said. At a traffic stop Ms. Nava appeared intoxicated. Open alcohol was found inside the car.
She was charged with aggravated D.W.I., along with several infractions, including unlicensed operation. She was released into the custody of her mother and will be arraigned at a later date.
