SYRACUSE, NY — A construction zone safety coordinator notified New York State Police troopers of a vehicle stopped in a driving lane on Interstate 81 southbound at about 12:10 a.m. July 9.
The safety coordinator approached the 2018 Toyota Highlander and found the driver asleep behind the wheel.
After about five minutes of attempts to wake him, the driver’s cell phone rang, waking him.
The driver drove away before troopers located the vehicle a short distance later and initiated a traffic stop.
Troopers observed signs of impairment during an interview.
The driver was administered standardized field sobriety tests, which he failed.
Christopher Jones, 54, of Syracuse, was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated.
He was transported to SP North Syracuse, where he provided a breath sample of 0.10% blood alcohol content.
Jones was issued tickets for driving while intoxicated and released with an appearance ticket returnable to Syracuse City Court at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 6.
