CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y (WKBW) — An off-duty Erie jail deputy facing a DWI charge after a head-on crash in Cheektowaga that left another driver hospitalized, had two prior local law enforcement encounters, records show.
Christopher Imhof, 35, was arrested on the night of Aug. 21 after Cheektowaga police say he was involved in a head-on collision on French Road. Both Imhof and the driver of the other vehicle were hospitalized. Imhof has since been released. The other victim remains in a hospital in serious condition.
Imhof has so far been issued an appearance ticket for driving while intoxicated, but Cheektowaga police say more serious charges are likely.
The Erie County Sheriff's Office says Imhof remains on administrative leave while an internal investigation is underway.
Records show two prior encounters with law enforcement before the Aug. 21 arrest.
WATCH: Off-duty Erie jail deputy facing DWI charge after head-on crash, two prior law enforcement encounters
On July 31, 2020, Imhof was involved in an accident in the town of West Seneca. An accident report shows that just before 4 a.m., town officers stopped Imhof after he allegedly hit a light pole, some garbage totes and a mailbox along a roughly half-mile route in a West Seneca neighborhood.
Security video obtained by 7 News shows part of that incident.
According to the accident report, Imhof told officers he had "suffered from a medical condition in one of his legs which was injured overseas during military service" and lost control of his vehicle. His truck was towed and an officer gave him a ride home. He was not charged or ticketed in that incident.
Then on July 1 of this year, Imhof was accused of violating an order of protection in North Tonawanda. He was arrested on a misdemeanor count of criminal contempt in the second degree.
I reached out to an attorney representing Imhof for comment.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
