Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
DUI Mom Crashed Car, Claims She Wasn't Driver
By
Ben Muessig
Published Dec 12, 2009
Modified Dec 12, 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
Ben Muessig
Published Dec 12, 2009
Modified Dec 12, 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
A Staten Island mother is accused of driving under the influence with her children in the car — but her lawyer claims she wasn't the one behind the wheel.
Jennifer Rivas, 25, apparently lost control of her Nissan Maxima on Wednesday at around 11:10 pm and smashed her car into a storage container off of South Avenue. The Mariner's Harbor woman, her two-year-old daughter, and her six-year-old son were not seriously injured by the accident — but wreckage from the crash made it almost impossible to escape, according to the Staten Island Advance.
Somehow, the six-year-old boy managed to crawl out of the rear passenger side door, which apparently could only be opened a few inches, and was spotted wondering around the storage facility asking for help. When officers arrived, they extricated the toddler and Rivas — who later confessed: "I drank Apple Martinis. I don't remember how many."
But Rivas' attorney claims the suspect was asleep when the crash occurred and another person — who fled before police arrived — was behind the wheel. Prosecutors say it would have been impossible for any adult to get out of the vehicle after the crash, and sources allege that Rivas told her son he shouldn't call police for help. She faces felony charges of reckless endangerment, and a lesser charge for endangering the welfare of a child. She cannot be charged under the recently passed Leandra's Law, because that legislation — which makes it a felony to drive drunk with a child in the car — does not go into effect until next week, according to the Daily News.
Tagged
apple martini
appletini
car crash
crash
dui
jennifer rivas
leandra's law
staten island
Ben Muessig
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC early voting dips compared to 2025, but spikes in majority-Black districts
Mayor Mamdani's robust support for Gov. Hochul couldn’t quite match the level of early voting in 2025.
By
Brigid Bergin
and
Joe Hong
Published Nov 2, 2026 at 6:06 p.m. ET
NYPD officers shoot man in Bronx after he fired at them, police say
The man was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital in stable condition, according to police.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
NYPD officers shoot man in Bronx after he fired at them, police say
The man was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital in stable condition, according to police.
By
Giulia Heyward
Washington Square Park snowball thrower gets community service for pelting NYPD
By
Walter Wuthmann
Stabbing of Brooklyn runner believed to be ‘random attack,’ NYPD says
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYPD wants info from schools after 15-year-old Bronx boy shot and killed
By
Charles Lane
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 .