Poughkeepsie man faces felony charges after being arrested for driving while intoxicated with a young child in his vehicle

New York – A Poughkeepsie man is facing multiple charges after New York State Police say he was caught driving under the influence with a child in his car early Saturday morning. The arrest took place in the City of Poughkeepsie after troopers from the State Police Wappinger barracks stopped the vehicle for traffic violations on State Route 9.

According to authorities, the incident happened around 12:46 a.m. on October 25, 2025. During the traffic stop, troopers identified the driver as Brandon J. Williams, 40, of Poughkeepsie, New York. Police reported that Williams appeared visibly impaired, displaying several signs of intoxication. After being asked to perform a series of Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, he failed each one, leading to further investigation at the scene.

Troopers also discovered that a 7-year-old child was inside the vehicle at the time of the stop. State Police said that the child was unharmed and later released safely to a sober third party. Officers additionally found that Williams was in possession of several non-prescribed pills, prompting additional charges related to controlled substances.

Williams was arrested and taken to State Police Wappinger for processing. There, he submitted to a chemical breath test, which revealed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.15%, nearly twice the legal limit in New York State. Following the test results, troopers formally charged Williams with multiple offenses.

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Police said Williams faces the following charges:

• Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger (Leandra’s Law) – Class E Felony
• Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th Degree – Class A Misdemeanor
• Driving While Intoxicated – Unclassified Misdemeanor
• Vehicle and Traffic Law Violations

Leandra’s Law, passed in New York State in 2009, makes it a felony to drive intoxicated with a passenger under the age of 16. It is named after 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed in a DWI crash in Manhattan. The law carries severe penalties, including possible prison time, loss of driving privileges, and mandatory installation of ignition interlock devices for convicted offenders.

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Williams was issued appearance tickets and traffic summonses and is scheduled to appear in City of Poughkeepsie Court on November 24, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.

State Police have continued to remind drivers of the dangers of impaired driving, especially when children are involved. They encourage motorists to plan ahead, use designated drivers, or arrange alternative transportation if consuming alcohol or other substances.

The investigation remains ongoing.