Crime & Safety

Cops: Man, 20, Drives Intoxicated Through Two Red Lights

A 20-year-old man was charged with DWI after he went through two red lights, Darien police said.

Red lights on traffic signals didn't stop a 20-year-old man driving intoxicated on Ledge Road and Noroton Avenue, but hitting a curb while turning onto Hecker Avenue caused him to halt, police said.

Darien police gave this account (an accusation not proven in court) of the incident.

Bryan Alvarez of Bridgeport drove west on Ledge Road, past a parked patrol car at about 2:20 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, then drove through the intersection of Ledge Road and Noroton Avenue, taking a left turn, although the light was red.

As the patrol car began following the car, a 1999 Nissan Altima, Alvarez passed a second red light, then turned left, onto Hecker Avenue. As he did so, he struck the right curb with his right front tire, which went flat. He stopped the car.

The officer spoke with Alvarez and smelled a very strong odor of alcohol on him. The officer also noticed that the driver slurred his words, was unsteady on his feet and appeared confused. Alvarez said he didn't realize he went through any red lights.

The driver, a resident of Madison Avenue in Bridgeport, failed field sobriety tests and his blood-alcohol content was 0.194 in one test and, 20 minutes later, 0.219 in a second test (0.08 is above the legal limit).

He was charged with being underage while driving under the influence of alcohol, along with two counts of failure to obey a traffic signal. He was released to his mother on a $250 cash bond and is scheduled to appear Dec. 17 in state Superior Court in Stamford.


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