Police: Man, 82, Stashed Wine Bottle After DWI Crash

Port Chester police thought an 82-year-old Scarsdale man was suffering from dementia or just shaken up after he struck a parked car on Monday afternoon.

But when witnesses approached officers at the scene and told them the elderly driver stashed a wine bottle behind a nearby van, police brought the driver to headquarters and charged him with DWI.

Officers responded to the intersection of Purdy and Traverse avenues at 3:50 p.m. Monday after callers reported a driver who had struck a parked car, Lt. James Ladeairous said.

They arrived to find 82-year-old Harold Gorenfeld standing next to his heavily-damaged 1985 Mercedes station wagon. Gorenfeld "was acting strange and seemed unaware of what was going on," according to the police report.

An officer gave Gorenfeld the benefit of the doubt, even though he presented registration for a Toyota and not the Mercedes he was driving. 

But when the officer walked back to his patrol car to radio for a tow truck, Gorenfeld hopped back into his Mercedes and tried to take off, Ladeairous said.

That's when several people who had witnessed the crash approached officers and told them Gorenfeld quickly stashed something behind a van before police arrived. When officers checked, they found an open bottle of red wine.

Gorenfeld registered a blood alcohol level of greater than .08, the legal limit. He was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and is scheduled for Port Chester village court later this week.

-

Follow Port Chester Patch!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PortChesterPatch

Twitter: http://twitter.com/PChesterPatch