The Town of Ramapo Police Department responded Thursday night to a report of a person sleeping behind the wheel of a vehicle on South Airmont Road.
When officers arrived and approached the vehicle, the 33-year-old male driver, who was wearing a baseball cap and dark sunglasses, suddenly drove forward and crashed into the vehicle in front of him.
Officers conducted field sobriety tests and suspected the driver was impaired by more than just alcohol. The Clarkstown Police Department responded to assist with a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE), as Ramapo Police DREs were unavailable at the time.
The driver was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with Driving While Intoxicated by a Combination of Alcohol and Drugs. During the investigation, officers also recovered pills believed to be Xanax from inside the vehicle.
The charges are returnable to Village of Airmont Justice Court.
🚨 Public Safety Reminder: Ramapo Police remind drivers that operating a vehicle while impaired, whether by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both, puts everyone on the road at risk and will result in arrest and prosecution.