Sussex Man Convicted of Driving While Intoxicated and Related Traffic Offenses

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Thursday, November 30, 2023, Christopher Heddinger, age 49, of Sussex, New Jersey, was convicted following a four-day jury trial in the Village of Greenwood Lake Justice Court of Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, Failure to Keep Right, Speeding, and other violations of the Vehicle and Traffic Law.The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2024. Heddinger faces up to one year in the Orange County Jail,and the loss of his driving privileges, as a result of the conviction.  

At the trial prosecutors argued that Heddinger was driving on State Route 17A in the Village of Greenwood Lake, on November 8, 2022. A police officer of the Village of Greenwood Lake Police Department observed that the car that Heddinger was driving speeding and had crossed over the double yellow line twice into the opposing lane of traffic. After the policeofficer stopped the car, Heddinger agreed to take, and subsequently failed, a series of roadside sobriety tests.  When brought to the Village of Greenwood Lake Police Department, Heddinger submitted to a chemical test to determine his blood alcohol content which revealed it was 0.31 per centum by weight, almost four times the .08 per centum level that in New York constitutes a crime. 

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Village of Greenwood Lake Police Department for their investigation and the arrest of the defendant.

“Our roads are a shared resource, and we all deserve to travelfree of intoxicated drivers,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “This defendant chose to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while severely intoxicated, instead of calling for a taxi or choosing some other safe alternative.  By doing so, he chose to place his interests before those of society. I am grateful that the police intercepted him before he caused grievous injury or death to some innocent motorist or pedestrian. My Office will continue to prioritize intoxicated and impaired driving cases.”

District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Assistant District Attorney Roger Dean who prosecuted the case. 

A criminal charge is merely an allegation by the police that adefendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.