Man Busted for Boating While Intoxicated After Crash: Police

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A New York man was charged with boating while intoxicated and endangering his five passengers, police said.

According to East Hampton Town Police, Benjamin H. Plum, 33, of New York, NY, was arrested on August 28 at 10:19 p.m. on Gann Road in East Hampton and charged with reckless operation of a vessel/unreasonably endanger person/vessel, a misdemeanor, as well as operating a vessel with .08 of 1 percent or more alcohol, first offense, a misdemeanor, and operating a vessel while intoxicated, first offense, a misdemeanor, police said.

Plum was operating a 2003 Cobalt powerboat in Three Mile Harbor while intoxicated, police said, and unreasonably endangered his five passengers onboard in a "reckless manner," police said.

He was involved in a reportable boating accident with physical injury and failed to display navigation lights and valid registration numbers, police said.

Upon investigation, Plum was found to have bloodshot, glassy eyes, the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath, slurred speech, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests, police said.

Cash bail was set at $500, police said.

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