Cops: Drunken Driver, Friend Tried Icing Roadway to Cover Up Late Night Crash

A Sparta man and his friend, who eventually became an accomplice, got a chilly reception from police early Saturday morning when authorities discovered the duo iced an intersection to cover up an alleged drunk driving crash.

Sparta Township Police Officer C.J. Grauerholz came upon a man dressed in dark clothing walking at the intersection of Sawmill Road and Woodport Road at 2:46 a.m. Saturday, heading toward a BMW parked and running in the middle of the roadway, Sgt. Dennis Proctor said.

Grauerholz parked in front of the BMW and approached the driver’s side of the vehicle, where he found the man previously seen walking sitting in the passenger’s seat, Proctor said. That man, Brian Byers, 20, was being driven by Alexander Zambenedetti, 20.

At the time of the incident, the temperature was 1-degree with a wind chill of -15, Proctor said. Yet, despite this, Zambenedetti was shirtless, Proctor said. The driver told the officer he had fallen down and his shirt became wet. At that time, Grauerholz spotted two five-gallon buckets in plain view in the back seat of the car, both with some water inside, Proctor said.

An investigation into the driver and his passenger showed Byers was involved in a motor vehicle crash earlier in the night while using a BMW registered to a family member, Proctor said. At the time, Byers was alone, traveling north on Sawmill Road, and failed to stop at the sign at the aforementioned intersection, crossed the roadway and struck a guiderail on the other side of the road, Proctor said. Byers then fled, driving his damaged vehicle back to his home, which was less than a mile away, Proctor said.

Byers returned to the scene driven by Zambenedetti, Proctor said, with two five-gallon buckets in tow, filled with water. At that point Byers allegedly poured the buckets onto the intersection, icing the roadway, and making the area too dangerous for travel, Proctor said.

The Sparta Department of Public Works was dispatched to the scene and forced to apply about a half-ton of salt to make the area safe, Proctor said.

Byers’ intention, Proctor said, was to report the accident was caused by the black ice and not because the driver was under the influence of alcohol.

Byers was arrested at the scene and charged with driving while intoxicated, careless driving, failure to stop at a stop sign, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident and disorderly conduct for creating a dangerous condition by purposely icing the intersection.

Zambenedetti was arrested at the scene when he failed field sobriety tests and denied driving his vehicle to the scene and had no explanation for why it was there, despite being found in the driver’s seat, Proctor said. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, careless driving and failure to wear a seatbelt.

Additional charges are pending, Proctor said. Both were released later in the morning to sober adults.

Pictured: Clockwise, from top: Intersection with water that became black ice; Alexander Zambenedetti; Brian Byers.

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