The 34-year-old Tarrytown woman, who died following a head-on collision on the Taconic State Parkway in Yorktown, drove at four times the legal alcohol limit, state police told Patch on Friday.
Michelle Cio, a wrong-way driver, was traveling south in the northbound lanes at about 12:20 a.m. on Aug. 10 when her car slammed into another driver. Cio was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other driver – 26-year-old Alicia Asadoorian, of Yorktown—suffered leg injuries.
Toxicology results determined Cio's blood alcohol content level was 0.32 percent, four times over the 0.08 percent legal limit, state police said.
"It's unusual that we encounter subjects with that blood alcohol level in their systems," State Police Maj. Michael Kopy told Patch. "Most often when we do, they're involved in an accident."
Police authorities said they have not been able to determine where Cio entered the Taconic State Parkway and that might never be known. Police also said they were unsure where Cio was that night.
Maj. Kopy said there are ways people could prevent drunk driving. One is having the personal responsibility when it comes to operating a motor vehicle and not getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. Another way is having residents report to state or local police any suspected drunk drivers, he said.
"That is one of our primary mission in the division of state police," Maj. Kopy said. "Within that mission is aggressively enforcing the laws pertaining to driving while intoxicated and driving while ability impaired by drugs."
He said he urges the public to contact the state police barracks or their local police department by dialing 911 to report an individual they suspect to be impaired.
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