Accused drunken driver charged with murder
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An accused drunken driver is now also an accused murderer.
Police say Justin Rodriguez is a poster child for the dangers of driving while intoxicated. He already had four prior DWI convictions when he was accused of crashing into and killing tow truck driver Alex Bleickhardt on the Northway on Sept. 15.
He was initially charged with vehicular manslaughter, but an indictment handed up late Friday afternoon charges Rodriguez with murder. Prosecutors say his BAC was nearly three times the legal limit. It’s a 16-count indictment that also accuses him of driving under the influence of drugs and weapon possession.
Police say he had a loaded gun in his truck at the time of the crash.
Alex Bleickhardt was just 33. His dog, Moose, was in the truck that night, and wasn’t hurt.