Thruway traffic stop in Rye leads to arrest of Connecticut man for two counts of DWI Leandra’s Law

On March 29, 2026, New York State Police assigned to SP Tarrytown arrested Leopoldo Lima Flores, 37, of Stamford, Connecticut for two counts of DWI with a child passenger less than 16 (DWI Leandra’s Law).

At approximately 3:31 a.m., troopers initiated a traffic stop on a 2026 Honda CRV northbound on the New York State Thruway (I-95) in the city of Rye for vehicle and traffic law violations. Upon interview with the driver, identified as Lima Flores, troopers detected signs of alcohol impairment. Standardized field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test were administered, which returned positive results for alcohol impairment. Further investigation revealed that two children under the age of 16 were in the vehicle.

Lima Flores was arrested for DWI and two counts of aggravated DWI Leandra’s Law and transported to State Police barracks in New Rochelle for processing. The children were turned over to his wife, who was in the vehicle at the time.

Lima Flores, who was also issued several uniform traffic tickets, was released to his wife and is due in Rye City Court on April 24, 2026.

Leandra's Law (Child Passenger Protection Act) is named after Leandra Rosado, an 11-year-old girl who was killed in a car crash after the driver, who had allegedly been drinking for several hours prior to the crash, lost control of her vehicle on the Henry Hudson Parkway. Leandra's Law, which became effective December 18, 2009, sets some of the toughest DWI provisions in the country.

The New York State Police urge drivers to use the STOP-DWI Have a Plan app to help them get home safely. The free app allows users to contact a taxi service or ride share, program a designated-driver list, or report a suspected impaired driver. The app is available for Apple and Android smart phones.