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Crackdown Nets DWI Charges For Half-Dozen

A half-dozen motorists are facing charges — some felony — for drunken driving over a several hour span.

Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace said the charges are the result of a statewide crackdown on impaired driving, most notably during the heavily traveled Fourth of July holiday.

The spate began late Saturday in North Harmony after 72-year-old Donald M. Heinert of Ripley was stopped around 8 p.m. on Magnolia Stedman Road for a traffic violation. Heinert was found to be driving in an intoxicated condition and reportedly refused a chemical breath test.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding. He is scheduled to appear in North Harmony Town Court at a later date.

Then on Sunday, four motorists were charged with DWI within three and a half hours. They are:

¯ Roger F. French, 44, of Conneaut, Ohio, with charges of DWI, driving with a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent or higher and speed in zone. French was stopped around 1:30 a.m. on Route 430 in Ellery and found to be intoxicated. He was taken into custody, processed and released to appear in Ellery Town Court at a later date.

¯ Jeffery M. Volgyes, 46, of Erie, Pa., with charges of DWI, DWI per se, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle and failure to stop at a stop sign. Volgyes was stopped by sheriff’s deputies at 2:04 a.m. on Route 426 in the town of Mina for a traffic violation. He was processed and released with citations to appear in Mina Town Court at a later date.

¯ Christopher A. Marker, 33, of Frewsburg, with charges of felony DWI, aggravated DWI, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, operating without an interlock device, failure to keep right, speed in zone and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Marker was observed by deputies around 2:20 a.m. on Bemus Ellery Road in Bemus Point commit several traffic violations. Marker was found to be intoxicated and in possession of a controlled substance, the Sheriff’s Office reported. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Ellery Town Court.

¯ Jason P. Altman, 20, of Forestville, with charges of DWI and DWI per se. Deputies were called at 2:50 a.m. to the Tim Hortons parking lot on Route 5 in Irving. Altman was determined to be the driver, and an investigation found he was intoxicated. He is scheduled to appear in Hanover Town Court at a later date.

¯ Timothy S. Troutman, 58, of Erie, Pa., with charges of felony DWI, DWI with a BAC of .08 percent or higher, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, unlicensed operation, speed in zone and failure to keep right. Troutman was stopped shortly after 5 a.m. on West Chautauqua Street in the town of Chautauqua for multiple traffic violations, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies said a check of Troutman’s driving history showed he was previously convicted of driving under the influence within the past 10 years, making his arrest a felony. He was arraigned in Chautauqua Town Court and remanded to the Chautauqua County Jail.

Gerace said the Sheriff’s Office, like the New York State Police and local agencies, notified the public of its planned crackdown on drunken driving for the Independence Day holiday. He said statistics regarding those arrested, charged and jailed as a result of the campaign will be released shortly.

“It’s unfortunate that some decided to stretch the Fourth of July holiday through the weekend by making the poor decision to taking the wheel while under the influence,” Gerace told The Post-Journal.

The sheriff said he believes ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft, have offered more options for those needing a ride who might not be in a condition to drive. He said safer cars, increased education and an attitude shift have also contributed to a decrease in the number of fatal car crashes.

“We’re getting better overall,” Gerace said.

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