Deputies searched snowy woods early Saturday after a car crashed off State Route 21 near the Steuben County line in Naples. The crash happened around 6:28 a.m. just north of the county line, according to the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies later identified the driver as Eric D. Bauman, 49, of Naples. Investigators said the vehicle left the roadway and went down an embankment before the driver left the scene on foot.
Because of freezing temperatures and the belief the crash happened hours earlier, deputies coordinated a search for the driver. Steuben County Sheriff’s K-9 “Tripp,” Ontario County’s drone unit, and Naples Fire Rescue responded to assist.
After about a 30-minute K-9 track, crews located Bauman alive in a wooded area. Deputies said he suffered from cold-related injuries.
Canandaigua Ambulance transported Bauman to F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua. He was later transferred and admitted to the Burn Unit at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
Deputies charged Bauman with driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. He is scheduled to appear in Naples Town Court at a later date.
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