On July 9, 2026, at approximately 12:10 a.m., members of the New York State Police Troop D Traffic Incident Management Unit (TIM) were notified by a construction zone safety coordinator of a 2018 Toyota Highlander stopped in the middle of a driving lane within an active construction zone on Interstate 81 southbound in the city of Syracuse.
The safety coordinator approached the vehicle and found the driver asleep behind the wheel. After attempting to wake him for approximately five minutes, the driver’s cell phone rang, waking him. The driver then drove away before troopers located the vehicle a short distance later and initiated a traffic stop.
While interviewing the driver, troopers observed signs of impairment. A Driving While Intoxicated investigation was initiated, and the driver was administered standardized field sobriety tests, which he failed.
The driver was identified as Christopher Jones, 54, of Syracuse. Jones was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and transported to SP North Syracuse, where he provided a breath sample of 0.10% BAC.
Jones was issued tickets for Driving While Intoxicated, and released with an appearance ticket returnable to Syracuse City Court on August 6, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.