Accident leads to DUI Arrest of West Haven Man

On Feb. 28, police responded to a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Main Street and Rt. 15.

Upon arrival, police spoke with Mitchell Ledford, 43, of Maine, who said he was rear-ended by another vehicle. Mitchell said that the traffic light had just turned green for him to proceed traveling southbound when he was hit from behind.

The driver of the second vehicle was Ton Nguyen, 35, of West Haven, whose car upon impact pushed Ledford's car off to the side of the road.

When police spoke to Nguyen, a stain on his shirt was noticed and his speech was slurred. Also, there was a strong odor of alcohol.

At the scene, Nguyen refused medical attention despite the fact that his airbag had deployed.

When asked if he was drinking, Nguyen said he had “two beers with his father.” While speaking with him, the officer noticed that the passenger seat was wet and a bottle of Hennessy on the floor, half full. In addition there was an open can of Red Bull in the vehicle.

Nguyen was given a field sobriety test and had difficulty walking a straight line, and performed poorly on several other field tests, police said.

The first breath test came back with a .241 reading; the second at .231, both well over the legal limit.

Nguyen was charged with driving under the influence, following too closely and failure to drive right. Bond was set at $500 and court was scheduled for March 7.