GENESEO – A Fairport resident was arrested for DWI after striking and injuring a Geneseo resident at a crosswalk near the bear fountain on Friday.
According to a press release from Geneseo Police Chief Eric Osganian, Jacob Cole, 19, was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated, Operating a Motor Vehicle after Consuming Alcohol Under Age 21, and Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian after he allegedly failed to stop and struck a 64-year-old man who was crossing in the crosswalk on Main Street, by Center Street.
“He actually blew a 0.05, which is under the limit for someone over age 21,” said Chief Osganian. “Because he’s underage, Officer Travis Lana ended up making an arrest since he was not legal drinking age in the first place.”
Vehicle and Traffic Law section 1192-a says that no person under the age of 21 shall operate a motor vehicle after having consumed alcohol, and as a result having a BAC between 0.02 and 0.07 percent.
The pedestrian was taken to NOYES Memorial Hospital by the Geneseo Ambulance with lacerations to the forehead at about midnight Saturday and released three to four hours later.
Cole is a first-year student at SUNY Geneseo.
Chief Osganian added that the incident, while unfortunate, does draw awareness to pedestrians on Main Street just as students at SUNY Geneseo are returning.
“Years ago, there were probably four or five accidents with pedestrians a year, and fortunately that number has dropped off significantly,” added Chief Osganian. “This was a little scary and brings awareness to pedestrians on Main Street.”
Cole is scheduled to appear in Geneseo Village Court at a later date.
Jacob Cole. (Photo/Geneseo Police Department)