Police: Off-duty NYPD Officer Richard Christopher was drunk in fatal wrong-way crash on I-87

The off-duty NYPD officer involved in a fatal wrong-way crash on I-87 last month was drunk, according to a new report from state police. Toxicology reports say Officer Richard Christopher's blood alcohol

News 12 Staff

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Sep 18, 2014, 7:19 AM

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Updated 3,756 days ago

The off-duty NYPD officer involved in a fatal wrong-way crash on I-87 last month was drunk, according to a new report from state police.

Toxicology reports say Officer Richard Christopher's blood alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit at the time of the crash on Aug. 12.

Christopher was driving south in the northbound lanes of the Thruway when he crashed into a car driven by 59-year-old James DeVito. Both men were instantly killed.

News 12 spoke to DeVito's father about the just-released toxicology report. He said it was a terrible shock to learn his son was killed by a drunken driver.

Christopher's stepmother tells News 12, "Our hearts go out to the family. We are heartbroken, we lost our oldest child. We didn't know he was drinking because he never drank like that."