An off-duty police officer accused of DWI in White Plains, New York, pleaded not guilty to drunken driving in connection with a New Year's Eve accident.
The accident occurred around 5AM Dec 31 when Officer Joe Zepeda was traveling on I-287 near Exit 6 in White Plains. He collided with a tractor trailer. A passenger in the officer's car suffered a broken ankle. The truck driver was taken to a local medical center for treatment of neck and back pain. Zepeda suffered minor injuries that did not require treatment.
The 37-year-old officer refused a blood sample following the wreck. He entered a not guilty plea to the DWI charge, but a separate hearing will be held to determine the consequence of his blood test refusal. This is not a criminal hearing. It is what is called an administrative hearing, taking place at a DMV and carrying only civil punishments.
Zepeda has been suspended without pay from a job he held since 2007. He will appear in court on the charge on Jan. 26. The main reason for public attention to this issue is the fact four police officers total have been arrested for drunk driving related charges in just a few weeks in Westchester County.
The arrests come within a few months of now infamous New York police officer DWI charges involving deaths. In one case, Officer Andrew Kelley is charged with taking the life of a young woman as she left a wedding in Brooklyn. In that incident, Kelly's passengers, including another police officer, fled the scene. This incident drew national press.
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