Charges added to Jan. accident investigation
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » City police charged a 47-year-old Saratoga Springs resident with vehicular assault from a January accident last Friday. Wendy L. Cook was charged for second-degree vehicular assault, a felony. In January, Cook was initially charged with felony aggravated driving while intoxicated, along with misdemeanor counts of first-degree operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, seconddegree criminally using drug paraphernalia and criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument.
Saratoga Springs police said they responded to a two-car accident at 10:20 p.m. Saturday Jan. 20 on Geyser Road at Cady Hill Boulevard. Officers said a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu driven by Cook was eastbound on Geyser Road when it crossed the center line, colliding head-on with a 2000 Buick Century.
Police said the driver of the Buick, identified only as a 49-yearold Northville woman, sustained lower leg injuries and was treated and released from Albany Medical Center.
Cook also sustained lower leg injuries. Her 8-year-old son, who was not seat-belted in his seat at the time of the crash, sustained head and lower body injuries. Both were transported to Albany Medical Center and admitted for further care.
Police said an accident investigation revealed that Cook was under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the crash, believed to be heroin. The felony charge lodged against Cook is due to allegedly driving while intoxicated with a child passenger, commonly known as “Leandra’s Law.”