Wrong-Way Driver Charged After Near-Miss In Vernon

VERNON, CT — A wrong-way driver tested twice the legal limit for alcohol after a near-miss on Route 83 in Vernon, police said.

A report released Thursday indicates that a driver called Vernon police at 12:36 a.m. on March 9 to report his car was nearly hit head-on while on the south side of Route 83. The caller then saw the wayward car pull into the Cumberland Farms parking lot, according to a report.

Police arrived at the scene and noticed the driver, identified as 45-year-old Luis Mendoza, of Andover, was still in the vehicle with the engine running, according to a report. Police could smell alhohol on his breath, a report indicates.

Mendoza failed a field sobriety test at the scene and a breath test then showed a blood alcohol level of .1785, well above the state limit of .08, according to a report. A seond breath test could not be administered because of his conduct, according to a report.

He was charged with a lane violation and drving under the influence and is due in court on March 18, according to a report.

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