DWI Driver in Crash That Killed LI Cop Had Previous DWI

2009_02_licrs.jpg Suffolk County police revealed that the driver whose alleged drunk driving caused a crash that left a police officer dead in Commack had been arrested on DWI charges last month. Jose Borbon, 23, who stayed at the scene of the crash, was charged with DWI.

The incident occurred early Sunday morning: Suffolk police officer Glen Ciano was driving north on Commack Road, on his way to assist another cop, and trying to make a left hand turn when Borbon's vehicle, traveling south on Commack Road, "plowed into his vehicle at about 4:15 a.m... The impact spun the officer's car around and hurled it into a traffic pole, sparking a fire that erupted so fast there was no chance of rescuing Ciano," according to WCBS 2. And the fire was so immediate and intense that witnesses couldn't attempt to save Ciano; Newsday said "the vehicle was destroyed to the point that it was not recognizable as a police car." Ciano was a 22-year veteran of the force and leave behind a wife and two children.

The Daily News reports that Borbon "still held a conditional license that allowed him to drive to specific locations set by the state's drunken driver rehab program." Specifically, the Post notes, Borbon was only allowed to travel between work and home. The News adds, "Borbon's license had also been suspended in 2007 after he was involved in four crashes in one year, records show. It was reinstated two months later." Borbon will be arraigned later today.

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Can someone explain what the point of a conditional license is when it's not enforced? Or even taking away a license, when unlicensed/suspended licensed drivers are driving?

a conditional license? a revoked license? just annoying details that do not get in between a drunk and his car. So sad, so tragic, for the innocents and their families.

"Jose Borbon, 23, who stayed at the scene of the crash, was charged with DWI and stayed at the scene."

So, I guess we can assume he stayed at the scene?

According to all reports, yes he did stay at the scene. He did not leave the scene. He stayed there.

I'm confused here. They take away the guy's license but reinstate it after two months? And then the dude with the weird eyebrows and definitely some strangeness going on is driving drunk at 4:15 in the morning?

Also why did the police car get totally involved in flames just moments after the accident? Was the gas tank ruptured and it spilled under the car? This doesn't happen that often so I'm just wondering how it happened.

It's shocking he actually stayed on the scene.

It's shocking he actually stayed on the scene.

His car was completely undriveable, based on the pictures. He must've figured that fleeing on foot wouldn't help.

The dude is TWO TIMES as cool as Vanilla Ice.

He can indulge his passion for 'manscaping' in prison. I'm sure there will be some roots planted in him there.

A conditional license is granted when the person has no other way of getting to/from work -- not unual in the good ole USA. And it allows ONLY driving between designated locations. But as Jen asks, what's the point if it's not enforced.

In europe, you never get in a car drunk. It's just understood, and reinforced with frequent check points. But our cops are too obsessed with speed, and ignore other dangerous behaviors on the road.

We're way too leniant when it comes to people who drive drunk, which is very sad because it's a crime that often takes the lives of people who had nothing to do with the POS who got behind the wheel drunk.

Driving is a privilege, not a right.

I will never understand how drunk drivers do not lose their license forever. Maybe if we had real penalties for driving drunk people would stop doing it. Something like:
Drive drunk once - lose your license for a year
Drive drunk twice - lose your license for five years
Drive drunk three times - lose your license FOREVER. Hand over the keys to any cars you own, they now belong to John Q Taxpayer.
Hurt someone while driving drunk - 15 years to life.

Think it would work? Probably not, after all people are ENTITLED to have fun as a drunk driving murderer's mother pointed out last week.

You'd have to chop their hands off so they couldn't steer to keep them from driving. There was one just a week or so ago -- the court had a breathlyzer installed in the guy's car and he had to blow a clean test to be able to start it.

So he rented cars instead so he could keep driving drunk, and then he took someone out with the rental.

Chop their hands off. If the person they crashed into just died in a fire, they've still got the better end of the bargain.

i wonder if he cut that line into his head on purpose

That was a racist comment. He combs his hair like that all the time.

What next? Just because he has a thinner than a pencil lead "mustache" and an abbreviated goatee he is a gang member? Hmmm? Maybe he is.

And maybe he was coming home from work when he had the "accident." There are a lot of drug deals that go on in the early hours.

I really hope the cops gave him the "VIP treatment" after taking his booking photos.

A picture is worth a thousand words and Borbon's screams THUG a thousand times.

"drunken driver rehab program"

steeeewwwpit.

And he was such a nice clean cut looking thug murderer too.

Wow, if his part was straight, he'd be perfectly symmetrical!

WRONG! He would need a tat on his left throat to be symmetrical.

That slash on his forehead indicates the ideal sweetspot for crackin' open this douchebags noggin.

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