A man whose blood alcohol content was allegedly more than twice the legal limit to drive was charged with DUI on Sunday when troopers found him going the wrong way on an Interstate 84 ramp.
Troopers were alerted to the driver shortly after 2:30 a.m. when a wrong-way detection system notified them that a vehicle was going the wrong way on the Governor’s Street off-ramp from I-84 West in East Hartford, according to Connecticut State Police.
Troopers were able to use Department of Transportation cameras to confirm a wrong-way driver in a white SUV that had significant front-end damage. They were also able to spot at least one motorist who had to swerve to avoid a collision.
Troopers responded to the area within a minute and were able to safely bring the vehicle to a stop as it was going the wrong way on the Pitkin Street entrance ramp from I-84 East, state police said. The vehicle, a Lexus RX 450, was smoking and had fluids leaking from it, which appeared to suggest it was recently involved in a collision. It also allegedly had dark tinted covers on its license plates and an illegally tinted front windshield, according to state police.
Troopers were assisted by the East Hartford Police Department in searching along the vehicle’s known route for any barriers or objects that it could have collided with. None could be found.
The driver was identified as 41-year-old Angel Luis Sanabria of Hartford, according to state police. State police alleged that he struggled to speak coherently and had difficulty following simple instructions.
Sanabria was found to be seated over a latched seatbelt which was in a locked position, according to state police. This further led troopers to believe the vehicle was involved in a crash.
As Sanabria was helped out of the Lexus he allegedly had a hard time maintaining his balance, state police said. Troopers also noticed a bundle of wax folds on the driver side floorboard that later tested positive for fentanyl, according to state police.
Sanabria was taken into custody and transported to Troop H in Hartford. While en route, state police alleged that he was verbally aggressive. He was asked to take field sobriety testing once at the barracks, which he allegedly failed, state police said.
A breathalyzer allegedly showed that Sanabria’s blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit to drive, according to state police. He told troopers he was not aware he was driving the wrong way.
Sanabria was charged with windshield obstructing view, failure to wear safety seat belt, failure to display registration plates, reckless driving, illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving the wrong-way on a divided highway, improper entry or exit of a limited access highway, possession of a controlled substance (first offense) and second-degree reckless endangerment.
He was later released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Dec. 12.
