HUDSON — A Columbia County man was arrested on felony charges under Leandra’s Law on Friday night following an accident in Hudson, Hudson Police Chief L. Edward Moore said.
Dale Saylor, 49, of North Chatham was charged following the incident, which occurred on Front Street, Moore said.
On Friday evening Hudson police responded to an area of Front Street after receiving a report that a car had struck two parked cars and left the scene.
Officers that responded to the crash were pulled away from the shots fired incident two blocks away, Moore said.
Witnesses were able to give officers a partial description of the vehicle and police began their search for it, Moore said.
There were no reported injuries in the crash.
Police located the suspected vehicle a short time later at the Hudson Amtrak Station and identified the driver as Saylor.
Police also located a 9-month-old child in the car.
Saylor was charged with driving while intoxicated under Leandra’s law, a class E felony, Moore said.
Saylor was then taken to Columbia Memorial Health for treatment of a medical condition, Moore said.
Saylor was issued appearance tickets for Hudson City Court on Tuesday.
Saylor appeared in court, where his license was suspended pending another court appearance at a future date, Moore said.
Leandra’s Law was signed into law Nov. 18, 2009, in honor of Leandra Rosado. Leandra was killed at the age of 11 while she rode in a vehicle on the Henry Hudson Parkway in New York City with the intoxicated mother of one of her friends, according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
The car, which was driving 68 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone, flipped over on the highway. Six other children were also injured during the incident.
In response to the tragedy, the New York State Legislature made several changes to the Vehicle and Traffic Law. The law strengthened the penalties against motorists who drink and drive, and requires that any person sentenced for Driving While Intoxicated on or after Aug. 15, 2010 must have an ignition interlock device installed on any vehicle they own or operate, and the driver will have an “ignition interlock” restriction added to their driver license.
If convicted on this charge in a court of law, the defendant faces a prison sentence of up to four years and a fine of up to $5000.