Usually it's Amherst Police Department assisting AFD --shutting down traffic so firefighters can lay out lines of hose, or calming an unstable scene so EMTs can get a patient safely out of a rambunctious crowd.
But on Friday night, with hazardous road conditions due to a a sudden freeze over, Amherst Fire Department Chief Tim Nelson returned the favor. He noticed a vehicle operating erratically about a mile from Amherst town center.
Chief Nelson (now off duty) not only called 911, but continued to follow and then stopped when the truck pulled into the Hess Station in South Amherst. He then pointed out the driver to the responding officer.
Deoclecio Artur, age 38, was arrested for DUI after he failed every aspect of the Field Sobriety Test.
In court on Monday morning his case was continued to next month as his lawyer wishes to review the Hess Station security video, which probably will not help his case.
These days everyone has a phone on them almost all of the time. Like Chief Nelson, if you see a car on the road and you even remotely suspect the driver is impaired, do the right thing: Call 911.
Amherst police vehicles are rolling 24/7, so it's not a big deal for them to be vectored to a suspected drunk driver to check it out.
The life you save could be a friend or loved one.
AFD Chief Tim Nelson
"If yer drunk yer driving straight, if you're sober, you're swerving." -- Old Chicago pothole proverb
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