Officials Call for Tougher State Laws as County Averages One DWI Death Per Day
With the Fourth of July weekend approaching—a period marked by barbecues, fireworks, and sadly, a spike in impaired driving—Suffolk Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr. led a coalition of law enforcement and community advocates to launch the 2025 Summer STOP-DWI Campaign, calling on residents to plan ahead, drive sober, and help prevent another season of senseless tragedies.
“Impaired driving is a choice, a selfish and dangerous one,” Toulon said. “Make this a summer to remember, not one you wish you could forget.”
Driving while under the influence is no longer just about alcohol, Toulon stressed. “With changes in marijuana laws, drug-impaired driving is surging. National data shows drugs are now more commonly present than alcohol in fatal crashes,” he said, noting that his office’s Drug Recognition Experts are being requested more often by outside agencies, helping build stronger cases and improving road safety across Suffolk.
The Sheriff stood alongside a powerhouse of advocates in emphasizing the deadly cost of impaired driving, including County Executive Ed Romaine, Vehicular Crimes Bureau Chief Carl Borelli, STOP-DWI Coordinator Caroline Flynn, and MADD Regional Executive Director Paige Carbone. “Making the decision to drink and then drive is selfish and dangerous to not only you, but especially to other people on the road,” Romaine said. “Suffolk County law enforcement is out there looking for you.”
Romaine and Toulon jointly appealed to the state Legislature to modernize the state’s impaired driving laws, particularly those that complicate the prosecution of drug-impaired drivers. “Our prosecutors are being forced to choose from an antiquated list of substances, making it difficult to charge offenders even when they are clearly a danger to others,” Romaine said. “We need laws that reflect modern realities—whether it’s pills, pot, or synthetics. Impairment is impairment. Period.”
Suffolk County leads the state in DWI-related fatalities, with an average of one death every day—a statistic that Borelli called both heartbreaking and unacceptable.
“We need common-sense legislation from the state to help prosecutors do their jobs,” Borelli said on behalf of District Attorney Ray Tierney. “We need stronger laws to stop this scourge. I’d rather get a call at 2 a.m. asking me to come pick you up than the other call.”
This year’s campaign will see enhanced sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols across the county, focusing especially on young drivers aged 21 to 34, who accounted for nearly half of all alcohol-related deaths during last year’s Independence Day holiday.
Sheriff Toulon’s STOP-DWI team is already on track to surpass last year’s arrest numbers, with 116 arrests as of July 1, compared to 209 total in 2024. “Just last week, our Deputies stopped a dangerous situation from turning deadly when they intercepted a drug-impaired driver attempting to go the wrong way on Sunrise Highway,” Toulon reported. “Thank you all for our great work on our roadways every day.”
The campaign also emphasized education and outreach. Emily Cordano, an intern with the Sheriff’s Office, spoke movingly of her friend Andrew McMorris, a Boy Scout killed by a drunk driver in 2018 while hiking with his troop.
“A selfish decision changed a lot of lives,” Emily said, her voice steady. “Like Andy used to say: never waste a moment. I’m here today to ask people to have a plan—ask a friend, call a parent, get an Uber. Just don’t drive impaired.”
Paige Carbone of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) praised Suffolk’s efforts but emphasized that education and legislation must go hand in hand. “This is a public health crisis,” Carbone said. “And it demands action—not just from drivers but lawmakers. We owe it to every family that’s lost a loved one to make real change.”
“Every DWI arrest is a potential life saved,” said MADD’s Flynn. “But enforcement alone isn’t enough—we need education, prevention, and stronger state laws to truly make an impact. No one should have to get that knock on the door because someone made the reckless choice to drive impaired.”
“We would rather come pick you up than mourn you,” Legislator Chad Lennon said. “Unlike those in Albany, we want to keep our communities safe.”