Man charged with DWI after vehicle breaks down in Cortlandville

CORTLANDVILLE, N.Y. — A Lafayette man was arrested Saturday after he was found to be driving while intoxicated when his car broke down on Route 13, the Cortland County Sheriff's Office said.

On Saturday, sheriff's deputies located a vehicle traveling south on Route 13 in Cortlandville that had heavy smoke coming from the front hood of the car.

When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver left his designated lane and traveled into the one-way portion of the northbound lane of Route 13. He then made an illegal left-hand turn, crossing back into the southbound lane.

Officers were finally able to get the vehicle stopped on Route 13 near Walmart.

The driver, 21-year-old Kurt W. Lester, of Lafayette, was found to be intoxicated, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies later determined that Lester had been involved in a hit and run crash in the city of Cortland earlier that evening.

Lester was charged with driving while intoxicated, along with numerous vehicle and traffic violations. He was arraigned in Cortland City Court and taken to Cortland County Jail on $100 cash bail.