NEW HARTFORD, NY — A 52-year-old man was arrested Sunday evening on felony DWI charges after police received reports of a vehicle speeding and swerving in and out of traffic.
New Hartford Police were dispatched at approximately 9:50 p.m. to check the area of Seneca Turnpike for the erratic driver.
An officer located the vehicle on Seneca Turnpike near Oakdale Avenue and conducted a traffic stop.
Upon stopping the vehicle, the officer detected signs of impairment from the operator, identified as Todd Barretta of New York Mills.
Officers conducted field sobriety tests and determined Barretta was operating the vehicle while intoxicated.
Police discovered a juvenile passenger was in the vehicle at the time of the stop.
Barretta was arrested and charged with passing a red traffic signal, failure to keep right, consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle, driving while intoxicated, aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger 15 years of age or less, and endangering the welfare of a child.
The aggravated DWI charge with a child passenger is a felony.
Barretta was processed at the New Hartford Police Department, and care was arranged for the child passenger.
Child Protective Services were contacted.
Barretta will answer the charges in Town of New Hartford Court in December.
