Crime & Safety

Police: Port Chester Mother Was Drunk with Child in Car Before Head-On Crash

Leticia Chavez faces felony drunk driving charges after allegedly driving the wrong way and striking another car head-on.

A 40-year-old Port Chester woman had her four-year-old son in the car and was driving drunk with open alcohol containers when she smashed into another car head-on Sunday night, Harrison police said.

Both the mother and son remain hospitalized with serious injuries.

The driver, Leticia Chavez of Port Chester, was driving the wrong way on Westchester Avenue when she collided with another car near Kenilworth Road at about 7:34 p.m. Chavez and her son are in critical condition at Westchester Medical Center, according to police.

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"It is my understanding that her condition is fairly serious," said Harrison Police Chief Anthony Marraccini, who added that police were not able to interview her following the accident because of the extent of her injuries.

The passengers in the second car weren't seriously injured. The driver was able to swerve seconds before impact, but was unable to avoid a head-on collision, Marraccini said.

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"The driver of the other vehicle tried to swerve and avoid the accident, which probably took some force away from the impact," Marraccini said.

Police are still investigating how fast each vehicle was moving at the time of the accident.

Chavez is faces four felony counts, including reckless endangerment, aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child, and three counts of vehicular assault. She was also cited for driving without a license and having an open container in the car, according to Harrison police.

Chavez was arraigned, and guards from the county corrections department are posted at her hospital room. Federal authorities have placed a detainer on the Mexican national pending an investigation of her citizenship status.


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