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Alfredo Martinez, a 47-year-old resident of Saugerties was sentenced to one to three years in state prison for his involvement in a hit-and-run accident on March 31, 2023. The incident occurred on Route 9W, where Martinez's vehicle crossed the double yellow line and collided head-on with another car, seriously injuring the driver.
Martinez fled the scene and returned to his home on Village Drive in Saugerties. He refused to take a chemical test, but a court-ordered blood draw revealed that his blood alcohol level was above the legal limit. Despite initially denying that he was driving, investigators identified his DNA on the airbag that deployed during the crash, confirming his presence in the vehicle.
The Ulster County District Attorney's Office prosecuted the case, with Deputy Chief ADA Paul Derohannesian leading the charge. Martinez pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular assault, leaving the scene of an incident resulting in serious physical injury without reporting it, and driving while intoxicated. Ulster County Court Judge Bryan Rounds handed down the sentence on Monday (September 8).
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Saugerties Police Department and the Ulster County District Attorney's Office, which employs a full-time investigator dedicated to vehicular crime scene investigations and reconstructions.