Saturday, January 17, 2015

HEAD-ON CRASH LEADS TO FELONY DWI CHARGE. THE MAN CRASHED A STOLEN FAMILY PICKUP TRUCK INTO AN ONCOMING VEHICLE ON STATE ROUTE 12 IN SHERBURNE, CHENANGO, NEW YORK



HEAD-ON CRASH LEADS TO FELONY DWI CHARGE.  THE MAN CRASHED A STOLEN FAMILY PICKUP TRUCK INTO AN ONCOMING VEHICLE ON STATE ROUTE 12 IN SHERBURNE, CHENANGO, NEW YORK

January 17, 2015

A 38-year-old Norwich man was charged with felony driving while intoxicated and other charges Tuesday, after he crashed a stolen family pickup truck into an oncoming vehicle on state Route 12 in Sherburne, Chenango deputies said.

Jeremy M. Sawyer, who is on parole for a prior DWI, was charged with driving while intoxicated, a class A felony, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and second-degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, both class E felonies, deputies said. He was also ticketed for moving from his lane unsafely, improper passing, refusing to take a breath test and operating a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device, with further charges pending, deputies said.

According to deputies, at about 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sawyer drove around a northbound traffic barrier where a tractor-trailer had earlier gone of the the road.

The pickup truck crashed head-on into a southbound vehicle operated by Jeffrey VanCourt, 43 of Sherburne. VanCourt and Sawyer were treated at the scene. A female passenger was taken to Chenango Memorial Hospital with minor injures. The truck was on fire when law enforcement arrived at Sawyer’s vehicle. He was unable to exit, but police managed to get him out the passenger door. Fire extinguishers were needed to put out the flames.

Sawyer was arraigned in Sherburne Town Court and sent to Chenango County jail on $15,000 cash bail, deputies said. He is to reappear at a later date.