October 20, 2019
Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard reports that on October 20, 2019, deputies arrested Dustin W. Drake, age 30, of CR 74, Prattsburgh, New York. It is alleged that on October 12, 2019, on County Route 76 in the Town of Pulteney, New York, Mr. Drake operated a vehicle while in an intoxicated condition. It is further alleged that Mr. Drake’s operation caused this vehicle to leave the roadway and collide with a tree resulting in the death of four passengers. Mr. Drake was charged with Driving While Intoxicated as a Felony, due to a previous conviction within the last ten years, a Class D Felony; Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, aggravating factor of a previous conviction of DWI within the last ten years, a Class B Felony; and Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, aggravating factor of more than one fatality, a Class B Felony. Mr. Drake was arraigned in the Centralized Arraignment Court and released on his own recognizance.
Sheriff Allard thanks the Pulteney Volunteer Fire Company and the New York State Police for their assistance in this case.
At a press conference on Monday in Bath, Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker described the accident scene, as one of the worst, that he had ever seen, in 25 years of D.A. work in this county.
