Utica Man Arrested Following Drunk Driving Accident

A Utica man is facing several charges stemming from an alleged drunk driving accident that resulted in injuries to a female motorist. The accident sent one woman to the hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

Utica Police officials say officers responded to the scene on State Route 5s in Utica Saturday morning at approximately 5:45 a.m. to find a silver Mercedes that had been involved in a crash with a Chevrolet. The two-car crash occurred in the westbound lane between the Turner Street and Culver Avenue exits.

When officers arrived, they found both vehicles had sustained severe damage and blocking lanes of traffic. Police say officers discovered the silver Mercedes had heavy damage to the front and the tan colored Chevy sustained heavy rear and front end damage.

Utica Fire units also responded to the scene and discovered the driver of the tan Chevy was unresponsive. She was immediately transported to Wynn Hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries. The investigation was underway and witnesses on the scene began to tell responding officers what they saw. Authorities say, witnesses reported seeing multiple occupants of the Mercedes discarding alcohol containers over a guardrail before police detained them.

At the conclusion of the investigation police determined the Mercedes, driven by 23-year-old Vladyslav Marynych of Utica, was traveling westbound at a high speed when it rear-ended the Chevrolet, pushing it into a guardrail. Marynych was transported to the Utica Police Department, where officers attempted to administer Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. He was found to be intoxicated and subsequently charged with vehicular assault, DWI, refusal to take a breath test, open container violation, and reckless driving.

The Utica Police Accident Reconstruction Team is handling the investigation, and additional charges may be filed as more details emerge.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the Utica Police Department. Regardless of any statements or photographs regarding potential evidence presented or accusations alleged, the reader is reminded that all suspects and/or arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. At the time of this posting no additional information is available.]