A Groton man faces three felony charges after deputies say he fled a rollover crash in Moravia on Saturday and later provided a breath sample showing a blood alcohol content of 0.08%.
The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a reported one-vehicle crash on Toll Gate Hill Road around 8:35 p.m. and found that the driver had lost control, flipped the vehicle upside down in a ditch and left the scene.
The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office checked the registered owner’s address and helped deputies obtain information about the driver’s whereabouts.
When deputies located James Foote, 40, he confirmed he had been driving the vehicle, and deputies determined he had driven while intoxicated, according to the sheriff’s office.
Foote was arrested around 10:22 p.m. and taken to the public safety building for processing, where the sheriff’s office said he provided the 0.08% breath sample four hours after the 911 call.
He was charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, DWI with a previous conviction within 10 years and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher, all Class E felonies.
He also faces traffic infractions for consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle on a public highway, leaving the scene of a property-damage crash, driving at a speed that was not reasonable or prudent and moving from a lane unsafely.
Anyone with information can contact the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office at 315-253-1222 or submit an anonymous tip through the free SaferWatch app.
Foote was taken to the Cayuga County Jail for centralized arraignment and released on his own recognizance, with an appearance scheduled in Moravia Town Court at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12.
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