Dryden man charged with DWI following Cortland County crash

Thomas M. Sunderland

Thomas M. Sunderland

LAPEER, N.Y. — State police arrested a man from Dryden following a crash in Cortland County Sunday morning.

At around 9:44 a.m., state police in Homer responded to a crash that occurred on Clarks Corners Road in the town of Lapeer.

An investigation determined that Thomas M. Sunderland, 34, was driving while intoxicated when he crashed his car into a tree and ran away from the scene, police said.

Police utilized the Cortland County Sheriff's Department's canine unit to locate Sunderland a short distance away from the scene.

Sunderland was charged with felony driving while intoxicated due to having two prior DWI convictions in the last ten years. He refused a breathalyzer test at the scene, police said.

Sunderland was arraigned in Lapeer Town Court and taken to Cortland County Jail. He was scheduled to appear in court today.