Passenger in DWI stop takes car, dies in crash

On August 11, at around 8:43 p.m. a New York State trooper was patrolling Route 17 in the town of Chester when he reportedly saw a 2021 Honda CRV in violation of the New York State vehicle and traffic law. The trooper stopped the vehicle and identified the operator as Ivan Sanchez, 26, from Jersey City, New Jersey. After conversing with the driver, the trooper allegedly determined that Sanchez was intoxicated by alcohol and arrested him for driving while intoxicated (DWI) and placed him in the rear of the trooper’s vehicle.

According to the police report, a front seat passenger in the Honda CRV, identified as Elizabeth Arrieta-Gonzalez, 21, from Union City, New Jersey, was also interviewed by the trooper. The trooper’s preliminary investigation determined that Arrieta-Gonzalez was not impaired, and that she was “not in custody nor was she the target of a criminal investigation.” At some point during the investigation with Sanchez, Arrieta-Gonzalez “unexpectedly” drove from the scene of the traffic stop in the Honda CRV, per the police report. Several minutes later, the white Honda CRV that the trooper had previously stopped was involved in a collision with an unoccupied trailer on Orange and Rockland Road, in the town of Blooming Grove. The operator of the Honda CRV was identified as Elizabeth Arrieta-Gonzalez, who was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the report, troopers later determined that Arrieta-Gonzalez was unlicensed.

Ivan Sanchez was later processed for DWI and issued an appearance ticket. The New York State Attorney General’s Office was notified and responded to the scene. This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the New York State Police Troop F Bureau of Investigation.