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Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb speaking at the New York Assembly in 2018.
- New York politician Brian Kolb publicly warned people against the dangers of drunken driving over the holidays, but failed to follow his own advice and was charged with driving while intoxicated after being arrested on New Year's Eve.
- In a column published by the Daily Messenger on Christmas Eve, a week prior to the incident, Kolb said there was "no excuse" for drink driving and warned how "tragedy can only be one bad decision away."
- Officers from the Ontario County Sheriff arrested Kolb after he failed a sobriety test at the scene of a crash outside his home, according to multiple local reports.
- Kolb was charged with DWI - driving while intoxicated, and making an "unsafe turn," according to the Evening Tribune.
- "There is no excuse and no justification for what occurred Tuesday evening. I made the wrong decision, and it is one I deeply regret," Kolb said in a statement.
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New York politician Brian Kolb was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated after he drove his car into a ditch on New Year's Eve - just days after issuing a public warning against the dangers of drunken driving.
Kolb published a column in the Daily Messenger on December 24 warning people against the dangers of drink driving during the holiday season.
The assemblyman said there is "no excuse for impaired driving," in New York City with the availability of alternative means of transport such as taxis and apps like Uber and Lyft.
"Tragedy can be only one bad decision away," he wrote.
He tweeted a similar message on December 26, according to local media. That tweet appears to have been deleted, and does not appear on Kolb's Twitter page.
Just days after the column and the tweet were published, Kolb was arrested by officers from the Ontario County Sheriff's department after a crash involving his vehicle.
Officers arrived at the scene of the incident to find Kolb in his car, a 2018 GMC Acadia, in a ditch in front of his house, according to local newspapers the Evening Tribune and The Democrat & Chronicle.
YouTube/NYSACTV
Brian Kolb speaking at a legislative conference in January 2018 in Albany.
Ontario County Sheriff Kevin Henderson told the Evening Tribune that Kolb failed a sobriety test and was later taken into custody at the Ontario County Jail where he was charged with DWI - driving while intoxicated, and making an "unsafe turn."
He is due to appear in Victor Town Court, according the Evening Tribune. No date for the court appearance has been announced.
In a statement cited by the New York Times, Kolb apologized for his behaviour: "I fully recognize the severity of the situation and I am profoundly sorry."
"There is no excuse and no justification for what occurred Tuesday evening. I made the wrong decision, and it is one I deeply regret," Kolb said.
Kolb, a Republican, has served as a member of the New York State Assembly since 2000, and as Assembly Minority Leader since April 2009.