While he was performing a Department of Motor Vehicle check to verify the trailer’s registration, Tripp said he saw the pickup truck cross the double yellow divider lines on South Bay Road.
Tripp’s DMV search showed the trailer registration expired in December of 2008. He stopped the vehicle and identified the operator as David P. Bertelli, 47, of C-18 Cliffside, Jamesville, who possessed a valid New York State Driver’s License.
The officer asked Bertelli how much he had to drink and Bertelli replied, “Too much for this conversation.” A short time later Bertelli admitted to consuming beer, according to Tripp. The officer said he found four opened partially full beer bottles in the vehicle. Bertelli was administered field sobriety tests, which he failed. Tripp said Bertelli proceeded to say that he was “going to state prison.”
Tripp asked why, and Bertelli informed him this would be his seventh Driving While Intoxicated arrest. Bertelli was transported to the North Syracuse Police Department and was administered a breath test which showed he had a blood alcohol content of .14 percent.
Bertelli was charged with DWI, a class D Felony, because he had two previous DWI convictions within the last ten years. He was also charged with having a BAC of more than .08 percent, operating with a suspended registration, unregistered trailer, non-inspected trailer, failure to keep right and consuming an alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle.
Bertelli was arraigned in North Syracuse Village Court and remanded to the Justice Center in lieu of $2,500 cash or $5,000 bail bond. Acting Village Justice William H. Bradt also suspended Bertelli’s operating privileges in the state of New York effective immediately.
North Syracuse Police Officer Jeffrey D. Tripp provided this information.
