Driver charged with DWI in early morning fatal wrong-way crash

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A Connecticut man accused of killing another driver in a wrong-way drunk driving crash on the Hutchinson River Parkway Sunday morning faced a judge in Rye Town Court on Monday afternoon. Jose Ramon Espinal, 48, of Bridgeport pleaded not guilty to one count of second-degree vehicular manslaughter and one count of driving while intoxicated. Police said Espinal was driving southbound on the northbound side of the parkway when he collided with another vehicle south of King Street in Rye Brook around 5 a.m. The crash engulfed the second car in flames. Police are still waiting for the medical examiner's report to identify the victim, but according to court records, William Saleeby died at the scene. Police could not provide any other information about the victim, including his age and where he lived. According to the felony complaint, Espinal told detectives he had "several alcoholic beverages before driving" and was "looking at his cellphone at the time of the collision." Investigators said Espinal had slurred speech, impaired motor skills and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath at the time of his arrest. He declined to take a breathalyzer test at the scene and investigators are waiting on the results of a blood draw to determine his blood alcohol content. "Officers at the scene are trained to detect impairment and their observations and subsequent conversations with the operator that was traveling southbound led them to believe that he was intoxicated," Westchester County Police Chief James Luciano said. It's unclear how or where Espinal got on the parkway in the wrong direction. The victim's family was at the arraignment but declined to speak outside court. Espinal's wife was also in the courtroom but left with his attorney from the Legal Aid Society of Westchester County without saying a word. Espinal is being held in Westchester County Jail without bail. He's scheduled to return to Rye Town court on Friday, September 13 at 9 a.m. for a felony hearing. "