Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Off-Duty Cop Arrested For DWI After Crashing Into Toll Plaza
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 5, 2009
Modified Dec 5, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 5, 2009
Modified Dec 5, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday, the AP reported that an off-duty cop was arrested for DWI in Queens—and now there are details. According to charges, the Post reports that veteran detective James O'Connell "was busted...for drunken driving after he smashed into a tollbooth at the Midtown Tunnel in Queens...[He] was allegedly driving home from a holiday party when he smacked into the lane’s gate arm at the toll plaza around 2 a.m."
The holiday party—"with colleagues"— was held in Great Neck. The Daily News adds, "Officer David Plavnick of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority said in court papers that he heard screeching tires just after 2 a.m. and that when O'Connell, 39, came to a stop, he had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, reeked of booze and couldn't walk straight." O'Connell's blood alcohol was 0.172—more than twice the legal limit. The Detectives Endowment Association's Michael Palladino said O'Connell was a "hard-working detective."
In the past few months, two other off-duty police officers have been involved with fatal DWI's—in October, an off-duty detective struck and killed an elderly woman in the Bronx while an off-duty cop struck and killed a Brooklyn woman in September.
Tagged
cop
detective
dwi
dwi cop
James O'Connell
Midtown Tunnel
off-duty
queens midtown tunnel
toll plaza
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Forest Hills Stadium can keep its concerts under deal with neighbors
Neighbors had complained of traffic and loud concerts for years.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 2:49 p.m. ET
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
Council Speaker Julie Menin called the $650 million plan "mission critical."
By
Elizabeth Kim
News
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
Council Speaker Julie Menin called the $650 million plan "mission critical."
By
Elizabeth Kim
NYPD arrests 17-year-old in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting
By
Charles Lane
Ex-Adams aide accused of pocketing kickbacks from community program funds
By
Samantha Max
MTA to begin 6-year project to upgrade signal tech on A and C lines in Brooklyn and Queens
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .