PHILIPSTOWN – An alleged drunk driver has been arrested following a head-on collision that killed a 52-year-old man and injured a seven-year-old passenger. The fatal wreck occurred on Route 9 on Saturday, November 11, at approximately 9:45 p.m.
Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville announced the arrest of 56-year-old Marcos Martinez of Hopewell Junction on the felony charge of vehicular manslaughter and misdemeanor DWI. He was also issued a citation for failure to use designated lane. Following his arrest, Martinez was arraigned in court and remanded to the Putnam County Jail on $250,000 cash bail or $500,000 bond.
According to McConville, deputies in his patrol division and BCI investigators determined that Martinez was traveling north on Route 9 near Stone Rodge Road in Philipstown when he crossed over the double-yellow line into oncoming traffic, striking a southbound vehicle head-on.
The collision killed the driver of the southbound vehicle; identified by authorities as Joe Stubblefield of Cortlandt Manor, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Stubblefield’s young passenger, traveling in the rear seat, was transported to Westchester Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Route 9 was closed for just more than three hours while the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the New York State Police Crash Investigation Unit performed an investigation. The sheriff’s office, along with the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate the crash.
