Pulled over driver tried to swap seats with passenger as trooper approached, police say

PREBLE, N.Y. — The New York State Police said a man who was pulled over tried to switch seats with a passenger as the trooper approached his vehicle.

On Aug. 11, around 2:23 a.m., a trooper saw a BMW sedan on I-81 in the Town of Preble, Cortland County, N.Y., speeding on the road. The trooper pulled the driver, Travis R. Walcott, 31, of Oswego, over.

The police said that as the trooper approached Walcott’s vehicle, the trooper saw Walcott try to move into the passenger seat while a 36-year-old woman tried to get into the driver’s seat from the back seat.

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The trooper noticed that Walcott was impaired when they spoke to him. A sobriety test then confirmed he was impaired, the police said.

Walcott was charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, obstructing governmental administration in the second degree and aggravated unlicensed operation in the third degree. All of the charges are misdemeanors.

The woman was not charged.

Walcott was issued appearance tickets to the Preble Town Court for Sept. 8.