Drinking in Car Puts Geneseo Driver 4 Times Over Limit

GROVELAND – The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Geneseo resident believed to have been driving with four times the legal blood alcohol content (BAC), and with a prior Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) arrest on his record.

According to a press release from Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty, Dennis Knapp, 56, was arrested for felony DWI for a prior conviction, felony DWI for allegedly driving with a BAC of over 0.18 percent, and Consuming Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle, an infraction.

At approximately 2:55 p.m. on July 7, the Livingston County Emergency Communications Center (E-911) received a call reporting a car that appeared to have a sick or intoxicated operator.

Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to the area. Several minutes later, Deputy Martin Herkimer saw a vehicle matching the description in the call, and stopped the car on Groveland Hill Road in Groveland.

The operator was identified as Knapp. After a roadside investigation, Knapp was taken into custody for Driving While Intoxicated and transported to Central Booking at the Livingston County Jail for processing and a breath test.

Knapp submitted to a breath test that was administered by Deputy Laszlo Babocsi of the Sheriff’s Office Jail Division. The test revealed that Knapp’s Blood Alcohol Content was allegedly 0.32 percent, four times the legal limit.

A NYS Department of Motor Vehicles record check revealed that Knapp had a prior conviction for Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated on May 25, 2010, making this arrest a felony.

Knapp was processed and held in pre-arraignment detention.

Groveland Town Justice David Livingston arraigned Knapp and remanded him to the Livingston County Jail on $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond, along with the recommendation of First Assistant District Attorney Victor Rowcliffe.