Woman accused of DWAI after driving off in wrong vehicle from Patchogue bar
Deputies learned that the Mazda she was driving had been reported stolen. They later determined she had mistakenly driven off in another person's vehicle after leaving a nearby bar.
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A woman was arrested Saturday after deputies say she sped down a Patchogue roadway while allegedly impaired by a combination of alcohol and drugs - only for investigators to discover she was driving the wrong car.
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office says deputies spotted Ariel Salgado traveling at a high rate of speed on Waverly Avenue while driving on the shoulder and failing to stay in her lane.
After pulling the vehicle over, deputies said the 25-year-old East Patchogue woman showed signs of impairment, including slurred speech and the odor of alcohol on her breath. They say she also did poorly on field sobriety tests and was taken into custody.
Deputies learned that the Mazda she was driving had been reported stolen. They later determined Salgado had mistakenly driven off in another person's vehicle after leaving a nearby bar.
Investigators said the mix-up occurred because the vehicle's owner had left a key fob inside the car and that Salgado's own vehicle parked nearby was a similar make, model and color.
Once deputies determined the apparent vehicle swap was unintentional, the Mazda was returned to its owner, who declined to pursue criminal charges.
She is charged with driving while ability impaired and numerous traffic infractions.
