Drunken Driving Charges Follow Crashes

Four car crashes last week were followed by arrests on drunken-driving charges. East Hampton Town police said one of those arrested, Nicholas Leguillow of Hewlett, 43, was taken to the hospital after his breath test produced a dangerously high reading.

Mr. Leguillow was driving a 2011 Land Rover on Cedar Street Saturday night when he veered off the road and struck a utility pole. Back at Wainscott police headquarters, his blood-alcohol content reportedly registered .31 of 1 percent or higher, triggering not only a raised misdemeanor charge of aggravated driving while intoxicated, but an automatic trip to the hospital. He is due to be arraigned in East Hampton Town Justice Court today.

“You are lucky, lucky that you’re standing here,” East Hampton Town Justice Lisa R. Rana told Andrew M. Dixon, 21, during his Monday morning arraignment. He stood before her with a broken nose, having been injured early Sunday morning when his 2012 Mini Cooper crashed off Old Stone Highway in Springs. Mr. Dixon, too, was taken to the hospital, where blood was drawn to determine the level of alcohol in his system. By the time he was released to the police, Sunday’s arraignments had ended, so he spent the rest of the day and the night in a holding cell. He is a senior at a university in Florida, due back in school at the end of the month, and Justice Rana agreed, after releasing him without bail, to bring him back to court today.

A 2001 Honda driven by a Southampton man, David Lopez, 31, crashed off Folkstone Drive in Springs early last Thursday. During his arraignment later that morning, Mr. Lopez, an employee in a hardware store, asked Justice Steven Tekulsky for a hardship license allowing him to get to work, but was told he was ineligible because he had refused the breath test. Bail was set at $250, which was posted.

Fiona Vonoeshen, 19, a college student, was at the wheel of a 2003 Chevrolet when the car crashed early Aug. 3 off Springs-Fireplace Road in Springs. Ms. Vonoeshen’s family lives in Connecticut and has a vacation house in Amagansett. She was released without bail.

Today is the 29th birthday of Ismael C. Penafiel of East Hampton, who is facing a felony charge of drunken driving after police stopped his 2003 Toyota early Friday morning. At headquarters, his breath test produced a reading of .17, they said. Mr. Penafiel, who works in construction, was convicted of drunken driving in November 2012 following an arrest in East Hampton. Bail was set at $2,500 during his Friday arraignment.

Hillary N. Latos, 45, editor in chief of a Manhattan magazine, Resident, was pulled over on Route 114 in East Hampton early Sunday morning after her 2000 Mercedes-Benz veered into oncoming traffic. Her breath test was recorded as just over the .08 number that triggers a D.W.I. Ms. Latos, who has no criminal record, was released without bail. Justice Rana initially set Aug. 25 as the date for her return, but changed it to September after the defendant told her she was supposed to be in Europe on that date.