County, state, town police DWI checkpoint on Saw Mill in Bedford yields 12 arrests

[khas143 13]

County, state, town police DWI checkpoint on Saw Mill in Bedford yields 12 arrests

By NICOLE NEROULIAS AND TERENCE CORCORAN

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: August 17, 2007)

BEDFORD - Bedford police this morning released the names of two more motorists who were among 12 people charged with driving while intoxicated during a checkpoint last night manned by Bedford, Westchester County and New York state police.

Bedford Chief Chris Menzel said that Hector Hernandez, 36, of Mount Kisco and Roger Ferguson, 46, of Brookfield, Conn., were arrested by his officers.

Hernandez was charged with driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level in excess of 0.18 percent and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, misdemeanors, Menzel said.

Ferguson was charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, a felony, driving while intoxicated and with a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.08 percent, misdemeanors, and possessing an open container of alcohol while operating a motor vehicles, a violation, police said.

They are due Aug. 30 in town court.

Seven of the DWI arrests were made by county police officers, three were made by state police and two were made by Bedford police.

The three men arrested by state police and charged with misdemeanor drunken driving were: David E. Fiolisi, 46, of Brewster, who had a blood-alcohol level of 0.13 percent; Howard Olmstead, 50, of Ridgefield, Conn., who had a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent - the threshold for drunken driving - and Richard Olivier, 25, of Brookfield, Conn., who had a blood-alcohol level of 0.14 percent, police said.

They are scheduled to appear in Bedford Town Court on Aug. 23.

County will release their names and the charges later today, said Lt. Maria Meliti, county police.

The checkpoint ran for several hours on the parkway in both directions, near the intersection of Interstate 684. At checkpoints, all vehicles are scanned for traffic violations and evidence of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"We used to do (joint checkpoints) all the time, and we're getting back into them," Meliti said.

Menzel said called the operation "an excellent kickoff to the national effort to combat drinking and driving, 'Operation Safe and Sober,' which runs from (today) through Sept. 3."

What really kills me is the fact that people complained that they had to sit in traffic for 10 minutes coming up to the checkpoint. People are unbelievable.

[Oswegowind 17]

12!!!!! Damn!!!! Guess they should do this in that area more often??????