COLONIE – A Troy cop was arrested for DWI after he smashed his pickup into police transport van on Troy Schenectady Road on March 18.
According to Colonie Deputy Chief John VanAlstyne, a town officer pulled a driver over near Goodrich Road at around 12:30 a.m. Another officer, driving a van used to transport those in custody, pulled in behind that officer as a back up.
Shortly thereafter, 26-year-old Kevin Patrick McKenna, of Latham, who was driving his 2011 Chevy Silverado, smashed into the back of the van, ran his pickup down the side of it and into a snowbank.
There were no injuries, but officers noticed McKenna exhibiting “signs of alcohol intoxication,” according to the arrest report.
McKenna refused to take a breath test and was taken into custody. He faces a misdemeanor charge of first offense DWI as well as the traffic infractions of driving without a proper inspection sticker and refusing to take the breath test.
As per state Department of Motor Vehicle civil regulations, refusing to take a breath test is an automatic revocation of a drivers’ license – if everything was done accordingly. There is no conditional or hardship licenses possible.
The initial traffic stop did not end in any tickets issued, and the transport van was on the scene as a back up only, VanAlstyne said.
McKenna was sworn in as a Troy police officer on July 13, 2015 along with three other rookie officers.
Troy Police Chief John Tedesco McKenna has been relieved of his duties pending an investigation into the Colonie incident.
