An off-duty Erie County Sheriff's deputy has been charged with driving while intoxicated and suspended without pay after he was allegedly involved in a single-vehicle crash in the Town of Aurora Friday night.
Deputy Aaron Naegely was off duty but driving a department vehicle – an unmarked black pickup truck – when he went off Jewett Holmwood Road in Aurora, near the border of Orchard Park, about 8 p.m. Friday, said Scott Zylka, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office.
The pickup ended up in the yard of a house. "He must have struck something. The vehicle is severely damaged. There's no report of him striking an animal or another vehicle," Zylka said.
No injuries were reported in the crash. There were no passengers in the deputy's vehicle.
East Aurora village police were the first to respond to the scene, but the sheriff's office handled the investigation, Zylka said.
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"Being it was a Sheriff's Office vehicle we did the investigation. We performed the arrest," Zylka said. The sheriff's Police Services supervisors were dispatched to the scene.
Inside the utility cab of the pickup truck were prescription drugs Naegely had collected from drop-off locations as part of his job, but there's no indication that Naegely took any of them, Zylka said. The medication was in plastic bags and locked in the back of the truck at the time of the crash, Zylka said.
Sheriff's investigators believe he had been drinking alcohol prior to the crash, Zylka said.
The sheriff's website shows that Naegely is involved in the department's alcohol compliance and substance abuse prevention programs.
Naegley was charged with two misdemeanors: one count of driving while intoxicated and operating a vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Content level of .08%.
He was suspended on Saturday.
The incident remains under investigation. The sheriff's Professional Standards Division is also investigating the incident.
Maki Becker
