Rockland County Man Arrested With .21% BAC Following Crash

State Police responded to a one-car property damage crash in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County on route I-87 at approximately 2 pm on Saturday, January 29th. Initial investigations have indicated that a Sloatsburg man lost control of his vehicle.

57-year-old Robert J. Rykowski of Sloatsburg was reportedly traveling northbound on I-87 in a 2012 Volvo S60, lost control of the vehicle, and struck the center barrier. Initial reports indicate that Rykowski not only had a suspended license at the time of the accident but was also intoxicated. He was taken into custody, transported, and later processed at SP Tarrytown where he was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.21%, more than twice the legal limit.

New York State Police report that Rykowski has a prior DWI conviction that occurred within the last 10 years, and therefore is required to operate a vehicle with an ignition interlock device. An IID as it is sometimes referred to is a small handheld car breathalyzer device used to measure the amount of alcohol in the car operator's breath.

Rykowski has been charged with the following Class E Felonies: Driving While Intoxicated, Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 1st degree. Additionally, due to his prior charges and the requirement to operate a vehicle with an IID, he was also charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle with No Ignition Interlock Device which is a Class A Misdemeanor.

Rykowski is scheduled to appear in the Town of Ramapo Court on February 24th after being released to a sober third party.