Thursday, March 28, 2024
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Politician who warned about driving drunk gets busted for drinking & driving

»

Published

»

Sign up with Your Content for the latest updates. Have a story or news tip? Contact our 24/7 newsroom at 833.336.8013 or email us.

VICTOR, N.Y. (AP) — The top Republican in the New York State Assembly was charged New Year’s Eve with driving while intoxicated in his state-issued vehicle, just a week after he wrote a newspaper column warning citizens against getting behind the wheel drunk.

Brian M. Kolb, a Republican from Canandaigua who represents a district just outside Rochester, was arrested near his home after what he called a “lapse in judgement.”

Authorities said they were called to a crash in Victor just before 10:30 p.m. after a vehicle ran into a ditch. Kolb was found to be the driver of the 2018 GMC Acadia that crashed in front of his home.

An Ontario County sheriff’s deputy administered field sobriety tests, which Kolb failed, before taking him to jail.

While there, a breath test indicated Kolb’s blood-alcohol content was over 0.08%, authorities said. 

- Advertisement -

No one else was injured. Officials did not say where Kolb was driving from.

Kolb said there was no excuse. 

“This was a terrible lapse in judgment, one I have urged others not to make, and I take full responsibility for it,”the assemblyman said in a brief written statement. 

“I made the wrong decision, and it is one I deeply regret,”he said.

Kolb has represented the district since 2000 and has served as Assembly minority leader since 2009. The district covers all of Ontario County and a portion of Seneca County. In 2018, Kolb briefly campaigned to unseat Gov. Andrew Cuomo before dropping out of the race. 

On Christmas Eve, Kolb wrote a column in the upstate Daily Messenger newspaper that warned against people driving while under the influence of alcohol during the holidays, and acknowledged December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. 

“Many of our holiday traditions, especially our New Year’s Eve celebrations, involve indulging in spirits,” he wrote. “Done safely, and in moderation, these can be wonderful holiday experiences. However, tragedy can be only one bad decision away.”

News of Kolb’s arrest led fellow Republican Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor to call for him to step down.

Kolb “should step down as Assembly Minority Leader,”Lalor tweeted. “That he hasn’t done so already is a disgrace.”

Your Content is a publication centered around breaking news, trends, and true crime investigations. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

Ohio High School Principal Resigns Amid Sexual Harassment Investigation

Robert Griffiths, the principal of an Ohio high school, has resigned following allegations of...

Serial Bank Robber Arrested in Metro Atlanta Following Multi-Agency Investigation

Dallas, Georgia, police, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, have successfully apprehended a...

Search for Armed Robbery Suspect in Maumelle Dollar General

The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office is requesting public help in identifying a suspect involved...

Birmingham Police Arrest Man as Investigation into Father’s Disappearance Takes a Dark Turn

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Birmingham Police Department has reported a significant development in a...