A Sayville man was arrested on a felony DWI charge under Leandra’s Law last night on Route 48 in Cutchogue, Southold Police said in a press release.
Police said Patrick Macgowan, 44, was found to be intoxicated after he was stopped by police for a traffic infraction at about 7:45 p.m., according to the police report. His 7-year-old daughter was a passenger in his vehicle, police said.
Macgowan also possessed a small amount of marijuana, police said.
He was charged with DWI under Leandra’s Law and held for morning arraignment, police said.
New York enacted “Leandra’s Law” in 2009, increasing the penalty for drunk driving with a child under the age of 15 as a passenger in the vehicle. The law was named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed in a drunk-driving crash on the Henry Hudson Parkway in October 2009.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
