SOUTH SALEM, N.Y. - After a relatively quiet summer, traffic enforcement activity and vehicle accidents picked up in Lewisboro during September. Outside the realm of traffic incidents, Lewisboro Police also dealt with several unusual cases during the month.
On Monday, Sept. 14, a South Salem resident reported that a heavy metal bench was missing from his front yard. With no security cameras on the property, officers questioned neighbors. One reported seeing a man and woman loading the bench into a dark-colored pickup truck the previous day. Police reviewed license plate reader records for dark-colored trucks, but the results were inconclusive. The investigation remains open.
On Friday, Sept. 25, an officer monitoring traffic in Cross River during foggy conditions spotted a vehicle with heavily tinted windows that had crossed a solid white line in the roadway. An eJustice check revealed that the vehicle's inspection had expired nearly two years earlier.
The officer stopped the vehicle and, upon opening the passenger door, noticed an open alcoholic beverage container on the floor and the smell of alcohol.
When the driver acknowledged knowing that his windows were excessively tinted, the officer noticed his slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. The officer administered standardized field sobriety tests, during which the driver nearly fell. The driver also refused a breath test.
The officer arrested the man and transported him to Lewisboro Police headquarters for additional testing, which he also refused. He received several summonses, and Sal's Towing impounded the vehicle.
Lewisboro Police conducted nine additional vehicle impoundments in September, all involving drivers operating vehicles without proper licenses. More than half involved drivers who presented foreign identification or driving credentials when asked for their licenses.
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, an officer patrolling Route 121 in Cross River spotted a car with a cracked windshield and a nonfunctioning brake light. After stopping the vehicle, the officer requested the driver's license, but the driver presented an Ecuadorian passport. An eJustice inquiry revealed no driver's license on file for the man. Sal's Towing impounded the vehicle, and the driver received three tickets. The vehicle's owner was also ticketed for allowing an unlicensed driver to operate the car.
On Friday, Sept. 4, an officer stationed on Route 35 near Town Park spotted a vehicle being operated by a driver known to be unlicensed from previous traffic stops. After stopping the vehicle, the driver presented a Connecticut photo permit rather than a license. The driver received a ticket, and Sal's Towing impounded the vehicle.
On Thursday, Sept. 10, an officer patrolling Route 35 in South Salem spotted a car with its front license plate mounted behind glass. After stopping the vehicle, the officer requested the driver's license. The driver presented a Guatemalan identification card and acknowledged that he did not have a license. He received three tickets, and Sal's Towing impounded the vehicle.
On Wednesday, Sept. 16, an officer spotted a vehicle running a stop sign on West Lane in South Salem. After pulling the car over, the officer requested the driver's license. The driver presented a license from Ecuador and told the officer he had been in the United States for three years. An eJustice inquiry showed no license on file for the individual. Sal's Towing impounded the vehicle, and both the driver and the vehicle's owner received two tickets each.
On Friday, Sept. 18, an officer patrolling Route 35 in Cross River spotted a car with a faulty brake light. After stopping the vehicle, the officer requested the driver's license. The driver said he did not have one and presented a Guatemalan identification card instead. He received two tickets, and Sal's Towing impounded the vehicle.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, an officer patrolling South Salem spotted a two-seat van carrying three occupants. After stopping the vehicle, the driver presented a U.S. green card. An eJustice check confirmed that the man did not have a driver's license. The driver received two tickets, and the third occupant received a ticket for not wearing a seat belt. Sal's Towing impounded the vehicle.
Later that day, an officer stopped a vehicle in South Salem after noticing that the driver was not wearing a seat belt. The car had a Connecticut temporary tag. When asked for his driver's license, the driver presented a Brazilian passport and insurance paperwork that proved to be fraudulent. The vehicle's registration was also invalid. The driver was arrested and received four tickets, while Sal's Towing impounded the vehicle.
On Thursday, Sept. 24, a traffic stop in Cross River resulted in another vehicle impoundment. The officer discovered that the driver did not have a license and that the vehicle was unregistered, uninsured and uninspected. The driver received four tickets.
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, an officer stopped a vehicle in Cross River that had no rear license plate and a temporary Connecticut tag displayed in the rear window. A check of the tag number revealed that it belonged to a different vehicle. The driver was arrested, and Sal's Towing impounded the vehicle. At Lewisboro Police headquarters, the officer also determined that the driver's insurance paperwork was invalid. The driver received five tickets.
- Saturday, Sept. 5: A pedestrian suffered arm and leg injuries after being struck by a van at the intersection of Routes 35 and 121 in Cross River. An officer summoned an ambulance, and the South Salem Fire Department also responded. Emergency personnel provided medical assistance before transporting the injured pedestrian to Westchester Medical Center.
- Sunday, Sept. 6: A moving van accidentally backed into a car in the Deer Hill complex parking lot in South Salem, damaging the car's trunk, bumper and taillights. The vehicle owners exchanged insurance information.
- Monday, Sept. 7: A vehicle turning left from the eastbound lane of Route 35 in Cross River was struck in the rear quarter panel and wheel well area by another vehicle that failed to stop in time. Both vehicles sustained damage, but no injuries were reported.
- Tuesday, Sept. 8: A vehicle backing out of a parking space in Cross River struck another vehicle, causing damage.
- Tuesday, Sept. 15: A vehicle stopped at the intersection of Schoolhouse Road and Route 121 in Cross River collided with another vehicle while attempting to turn left onto Route 121. The first driver told police that the approaching vehicle had signaled a right turn onto Schoolhouse Road but continued straight instead. The collision caused damage.
- Tuesday, Sept. 15: A pedestrian walking a dog along Ridgefield Avenue in South Salem was struck by a passing car's side mirror. The driver told police that sun glare had impaired visibility and that the vehicle stopped immediately after the mirror grazed the pedestrian. The pedestrian declined medical attention.
- Saturday, Sept. 19: An employee at Four Winds Hospital reported that a deer struck her car in the parking lot, causing extensive damage. The driver had already contacted her insurance company and requested a tow.
- Saturday, Sept. 19: Two golfers participating in a tournament at Waccabuc Country Club struck a fence and overturned their golf cart. The cart's front axle was broken, and both men suffered scratches. They were transported to Danbury Hospital because of concerns related to medications they were taking.
- Tuesday, Sept. 22: A driver fell asleep at the wheel while traveling south on Route 121 in Cross River, striking a tree and a stone wall. The tree fell onto power lines, blocking the southbound lane. No injuries were reported. Sal's Towing removed the vehicle, and a state Department of Transportation loader cleared the fallen tree debris.
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