Monroe County official is facing DWI charges after car crash | Crime

A top Monroe County official is facing DWI charges after a crash in a County vehicle.

Monroe County Airport Director Susan Walsh has been charged with misdemeanor DWI in the Village of East Rochester. She was arrested around 7p.m. Thursday.

East Rochester Police Chief Steven Clancy gave News10NBC the details of the crash but would not release the police report and a mug shot ws not available.

Clancy said Walsh was headed west on East Linden Avenue when she hit another car from behind just before the intersection with North Washington Street in the Village of East Rochester. Clancy says three people were inside of the vehicle but no one was injured.

When police got to the scene, Walsh refused to take a breathalyzer test. She was taken into custody and later charged with DWI. After being processed, she was released.

News10NBC asked both County Executive Maggie Brooks and East Rochester Police Chief Steven Clancy where Walsh was headed and where she was coming from but they would not comment.

Brooks said today she is very disappointed to have an employee facing a DWI charge. “The bottom line is we're dealing very serious allegations. We have a procedure internally for dealing with employee issues like DWI and so we will follow the procedure, we will do an internal investigation and I’m keeping all of my options open as to how we will proceed in the future after we gather all the facts.”

Walsh was named airport director in January after former airport director Dave Damelio resigned amid an investigation on questionable spending of county money.

Right now, Walsh’s use of a County vehicle has been suspended indefinitely and she is on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

Brooks said Walsh was using a County vehicle last night because as airport director, she is on call 24/7 and has use of that vehicle.

Deputy Airport Director Angela Veltre is serving as acting airport director at this time.