Armonk Man Arraigned in Wrong-Way Driving Death
A 23-year-old Armonk man was arraigned Wednesday morning on a 14-count indictment, including multiple felonies, for causing the death of another motorist in a wrong-way accident on I-684 in Bedford last December.
Zachary Tokson, of 9 Seymour Lane, was charged with seven felony counts: two counts each of aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree vehicular manslaughter and second-degree vehicular assault and one count of second-degree manslaughter. The remaining counts, including for DWI, are all unclassified misdemeanors or violations of state vehicle and traffic law.
Tokson pleaded not guilty to the charges. Bail was set at $100,000 bond and remains in effect.
On Dec. 13, 2015, at about 5:49 a.m., Tokson was driving a white Lexus SUV northbound in the southbound lanes on I-684, according to the Westchester County District Attorney’s office. With a female passenger in the front seat, his vehicle collided head on with a gray Ford Focus station wagon at mile marker 16.8. The driver of the Ford, Elena Lopez, died instantly on impact from multiple blunt force trauma injuries, authorities said.
Tokson suffered a laceration over his right eye. His passenger sustained broken ribs, a dislocated femur and lacerations to her liver and spleen but survived.
A subsequent investigation by police revealed that the defendant had been drinking hours earlier at a bar in Brewster, the district attorney’s office said. After leaving the bar and having stopped for some food, the defendant and his passenger were traveling south on I-684. They stopped at the Bedford rest area to take a nap.
The defendant woke up and began driving the wrong way on I-684 for about 1.1 miles before the crash. A search of his vehicle revealed a closed, empty bottle of whiskey and a mixed alcohol drink inside a closed soda bottle. He was arrested by state police following the crash.
The defendant faces a maximum term of three years in jail but not more than 25 years, while the minimum term would be at least one year imprisonment but not more than one-third of the maximum term.
Tokson is due back in court July 20.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
