‘Sleeping’ Driver Charged With DUI: North Haven Police

NORTH HAVEN, CT — A New Haven man was arrested on a DUI charge after police found him asleep at the wheel in the middle of the road early Saturday morning in North Haven. Police received a complaint at about 6 a.m. on Feb. 9 of a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road on Middletown Avenue near Montowese Avenue, according to police.

“As the first officer arrived, he observed the described vehicle with the operator asleep at the wheel,” police wrote in a post on Facebook. “The vehicle was observed to be in DRIVE; therefore, the officer positioned his cruiser in front of the vehicle to prevent it from traveling down the roadway upon waking the operator. Upon successfully waking the operator, as predicted, he released the brake thereby causing his vehicle to make contact with the front grille guard of the police vehicle. No one was injured, and there was no damage to the police vehicle.”

Robert Smith, 26, of New Haven, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and no proof of insurance. He was released on a $500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Meriden Superior Court on Feb. 26.

“This was a great job by the officer to prevent potential injury and possible property damage,” police said.

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