What to Know
- Officials say a suspected drunk driver jumped a curb on Long Island and struck a family of 4, including two children
- Police say Mitchell Messling, 66, was driving his blue BMW westbound on West Merrick Road when he allegedly jumped the curb
- Messling pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday; attorney information for him wasn't immediately available
The 66-year-old man who allegedly jumped a curb on Long Island and struck a family on Memorial Day in a suspected DWI crash told police he had "one drink, a vodka sprite" authorities said Tuesday.
Mitchell Messling had a blood alcohol level of 0.17, more than twice the legal limit, when he rammed into a mother, her boyfriend and the woman's 9-year-old and 11-year-old children in Freeport the previous afternoon, officials said.
Video from the scene showed a blue sedan resting partly on a curb in front of some businesses, with one side of the car's windshield caved in.
According to police, when officers responded, they observed Messling had glassy bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. He was placed under arrest and allegedly told officers he had been driving to Jones Beach from his home in Massapequa at the time of the accident.
There were no immediate updates on the victims' conditions Tuesday afternoon.
Messling pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday and was ordered held on $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond. His attorney's name wasn't immediately clear.
