Two enterprising New Jersey men were arrested after allegedly attempting to cover up a drunken car crash by making it appear to be a faultless accident caused by black ice.
According to CBS New York, Brian Byers and Alexander Zambenedetti, both 20, were arrested early Saturday morning after Byers smashed his car into a guardrail in Sparta, apparently while driving drunk. He was able to drive the damaged car away from the scene, and later Zambenedetti, like a good friend, allegedly drove Byers back. In an apparent attempt to deceive his insurance company, Byers allegedly poured water onto the ground in the 1 degree chill in order to form a sheet of black ice he could later point to having caused the crash.
The plan was foiled after an officer on patrol nearby saw Byers walking in the middle of the road. Zambenedetti was found in his car with two five-gallon plastic buckets shortly thereafter.
Byers was charged with a DWI, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and disorderly conduct for creating a dangerous condition by purposely icing the intersection.
Zambenedetti was arrested after failing several sobriety tests, and was charged with a DWI.
