ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A handful of allegedly drunk drivers in the Capital Region have stood out over the past week. State troopers have nabbed six people in the area since January 21, half of whom were driving on suspended or revoked licenses, according to a Friday morning roundup from the police agency.
First, on January 21, at about 1 a.m., troopers stopped a car on Collar City Bridge. The driver, identified by police as David J. Coddington II, 28, of Rensselaer, was arrested at the scene and charged with DWI. He was taken to the state police barracks in Brunswick for processing, where he recorded a 0.14% Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), according to police.
Before his arrest on Saturday, police say Coddington’s driving privileges had been revoked after he refused to submit to a chemical test during a previous incident. He was issued tickets returnable to Troy City Court on February 6, and released to a sober party.
Later that same day, at about 9:15 p.m., officers stopped a car on Grand Street in Schoharie. Police say Floyd A. Guernsey III, 60, of Schoharie was behind the wheel. He was arrested for DWI and taken to the state police barracks in Cobleskill for processing, where he recorded a 0.18% BAC—more than twice the legal limit, according to police. He is due back in Schoharie Village Court on February 13.
Rounding out the weekend, on Sunday, January 22, at about 4 a.m., a car crashed into a utility pole near State Route 40 in Schaghticoke. Police identified the driver as Patrick J. McLaughlin Jr., 23, of Johnsonville. His BAC registered at 0.24%, police said. He was ordered to appear on February 6, in Schaghticoke Town Court.
Monday was a busy day for DWI arrests in the Capital Region. First, just after midnight, state police of Princetown stopped to check on a car on the shoulder of I-90 in Rotterdam. The car had been damaged, police said, but there was no evidence of a crash in the area.
The driver was identified as Mark B. Forsti, 48, of Utica. He was arrested and processed in Princetown, where he recorded a 0.16% BAC, according to police. Forsti had a conditional driver’s license at the time of his arrest, police said, due to pending prosecution for an unrelated DWI arrest. He was issued tickets returnable to the Rotterdam Town Court on February 9.
Later Monday afternoon, troopers nabbed Stacia Sheehan, 52, of Ballston Spa, after drivers on State Route 7 in Colonie said she was swerving all over the road. Sheehan was arrested for DWI and processed at the state police barracks in Latham, where she allegedly refused to provide a sample to determine the alcohol content of her blood.
Sheehan has been convicted on DWI charges before, police said. She was dealt tickets for Colonie Town Court, where she will answer the new charge on February 1. She was then sent to Samaritan Hospital.
The latest notable DWI arrest in the Capital Region came on Thursday, around 6 a.m. Troopers were sent to the area of Northern Pines Road in Wilton, where they were told a plow truck slammed into a utility pole and drove off. An investigation into the incident identified the driver as Gregory S. Shaughnessy, 48, of Wilton.
Shaughnessy was located at his home and arrested for DWI. He was taken to the State Police barracks in Wilton for processing, where he allegedly recorded a 0.21% BAC. He was issued tickets returnable to the Wilton Town Court on February 14. The road was shut down for multiple hours, while National Grid workers completed the necessary repairs to the utility pole.