Prosecutors: Blood alcohol level of off-duty officer in fatal wrong-way crash more than twice legal limit

Prosecutors say an off-duty Suffolk County police officer involved in a deadly wrong-way crash had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. They say Suffolk Police Officer Robert Scheuerer

News 12 Staff

Oct 6, 2016, 12:47 AM

Updated 2,922 days ago

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Prosecutors say an off-duty Suffolk County police officer involved in a deadly wrong-way crash had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit.
They say Suffolk Police Officer Robert Scheuerer drove the wrong way on Sunrise Highway and killed a man in a head-on collision last week.
The District Attorney's Office says Scheuerer's blood alcohol level was .17, which is more than two times the legal limit.
It is not clear how long after the crash his blood was taken, but in court documents released Wednesday, prosecutors say they "have reason to believe the defendant was drinking at a bar prior to the crash."
Prosecutors say it was about 4:30 a.m. last Tuesday that the off-duty officer was driving a Nissan Pathfinder eastbound in the westbound lanes.
Prosecutors say multiple calls were made to 911 to report the vehicle, and that several motorists even flashed their lights at him.
The documents go on to say that "one tractor-trailer driver had to slam on his brakes and swerve out of the way of the oncoming vehicle and another motorist had to pull over onto the shoulder to avoid a crash. The defendant disregarded these warning signs."
Prosecutors say after narrowly missing other vehicles, the 24-year-old crashed head-on with a van that subsequently caught fire, leaving its driver dead.
Scheuerer remains in the ICU. Scheuerer pleaded not guilty to one charge of reckless endangerment at his bedside arraignment on Tuesday. While the charges will be upgraded, it is not clear as to what the new charges will be.