After a resident’s fence and a town street sign were hit by a vehicle Saturday, patrol officers followed a trail of oil to a parked Jeep Grand Cherokee and arrested a 48-year-old man for driving while under the influence of alcohol, police said.
Darien police described the incident with this account (which includes accusations not proven in court):
A Maple Street resident who lives near the intersection of Maple Street and Relihan Road told police that when his fence was heavily damaged, he saw a vehicle headed toward nearby Dubois Street.
After seeing the damage to the fence, a patrol officer found what appeared to be a piece of the vehicle. Then the officer followed line of oil on the roadway, passing a stop sign that was knocked off its pole. Another officer who followed the trail of oil traced it to a driveway on Dubois Street.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee parked there had front-end and hood damage and was missing a front bumper cover that matched the piece that had just been found by police.
When police knocked on the door, a woman answered it and told them that her husband had been driving the Jeep and had just returned home.
When the husband, John Gedney, spoke with police, an officer noticed that Gedney’s speech was slurred and he didn’t appear to understand why police were at his house.
He was also slightly swaying when standing and unbalanced when walking. He told police he had been sleeping at home all night. Outside, in view of a patrol car camera, police gave him field sobriety tests. He didn’t pass the first two tests and refused to do the third and final test. Police arrested him.
Gedney was charged with driving while under the influence, evading responsibility for a motor vehicle accident and making an improper left turn. At Police Headquarters he refused to take a breath test.
His bond was set at $500, which he posted. He is scheduled to appear Dec. 11 in state Superior Court in Stamford.