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New Fairfield school Superintendent Alicia Roy could not be reached for comment.
Sandra L. Diehl, 45, was found at about 1:20 p.m. Friday, April 21, after the police department received a call about a suspicious vehicle stopped along Old Route 22 in Patterson, N.Y., said Capt. William McNamara.
Deputy Sheriff Christopher Irwin located the car on the roadside with Diehl at the wheel and three teenage passengers inside, McNamara said.
Related story: New Fairfield Woman, 45, Driving Drunk Had Children In Car, NY Sheriff Says
The deputy determined that Diehl was intoxicated, he said. She was charged with DWI and with a violation of what is commonly referred to as Leandra’s Law, which makes it a felony to drive drunk with children under the age of 16 in the vehicle, McNamara added.
After placing Diehl under arrest, the minor passengers were turned over to other adults for transportation home, he said. The children's identities were not released by police.
Diehl was booked at the Sheriff’s Office and arraigned before Patterson Town Justice Michael Caruso, who set bail at $2,500.
If found guilty of the felony charge, she could face up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
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