Troopers: Man declines sobriety test in Rotterdam, says he knows he's drunk

PHOTOGRAPHER: Shutterstock Image

Richard Knight

ROTTERDAM — A Pattersonville man who was asked to take a sobriety test during a traffic stop on Interstate 890 Friday night opted out, telling troopers he knew he was drunk, state police said Tuesday.

The incident happened just after 11 p.m. in Rotterdam, troopers said.

Troopers spotted Richard C. Knight, 34, driving 85 mph in a 55 mph zone and pulled him over, state police said.

While interviewing Knight, troopers believed he showed signs of intoxication and asked him to exit his vehicle for sobriety tests, state police said.

“Knight exited his vehicle and was having trouble maintaining his balance,” troopers said in a press release. “Knight told the Troopers he did not wish to take the sobriety tests because he knew he was drunk.”

Knight was arrested, and a breath test at the state police barracks showed his blood alcohol content to be 0.2 percent. The legal threshold for DWI is 0.08.

Knight was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and was released to return to court at a later date.