New Hartford DWI Arrest After Erratic Driving on Route 840

A 24-year-old man from Staten Island is facing a series of charges after police say he was driving erratically and at high speed through New Hartford Monday afternoon.

The incident happened around 1 p.m. on April 20, when a New Hartford Police DWI enforcement officer observed a dark-colored van traveling well above the speed limit on State Route 840. Police say the vehicle entered eastbound traffic from Middle Settlement Road without signaling and continued accelerating.

What caught the officer’s attention quickly turned into something more serious.

Authorities say the driver failed to pull over right away, instead accelerating, switching lanes multiple times without signaling, and continuing onto Route 12 northbound. The vehicle eventually came to a stop near the French Road exit ramp, where police say it nearly struck a guardrail.

The driver, identified as 24-year-old Devon Eaton of Staten Island, was the only person in the vehicle. Officers reported detecting the odor of an alcoholic beverage and observed signs of possible impairment.

Eaton was asked to step out and perform standardized field sobriety tests. Following those tests, he was taken into custody and transported to the New Hartford Police Department for processing.

Police say Eaton is charged with driving while intoxicated, operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher, and aggravated DWI for an alleged BAC of .18 percent or more. He also faces charges for speeding, failing to signal within 100 feet of a turn, and not wearing a seat belt.

He was issued uniform traffic tickets and released. Eaton is expected to appear in court at a later date.

New Hartford Police Chief Ron Fontaine said the arrest is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to target impaired driving and keep roadways safe.