Nicole Szczepankiewicz

A 26-year-old West Seneca woman was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving while impaired by drugs after an accident in the Town of Lockport on Monday.

According to the report filed by the Niagara County Sheriff's Office, Nicole M. Szczepankiewicz, 1405 East and West Road, West Seneca, was stopped around 7:15 a.m. by State Police on Stone Road after a call of a reckless driver had been made to 911 for a vehicle traveling eastbound on Stone Road from Townline Road.

Patrol states that Szczepankiewicz appeared to be intoxicated, had slurred speech, impaired motor coordination and was confused or disoriented. The report also said that her vehicle had significant damage to it.

"There was what appeared to be fresh damage to the front left side," the report states. "Patrol walked to the right side and observed fresh damage to the entire side. The front right tire was completely off the rim and there was smoke coming from the bare metal rim The smoke appeared to be due to the fact that Szczepankiewicz had been driving on the metal rim without a tire for a long distance."

Patrol asked her about the vehicle damage and she stated that another car had run into her and she hit a guard rail.

Patrol observed her purse in the back seat, and the purse had what appeared to be a hypodermic syringe sticking out of a pocket. She stated that she was taking a blood thinner via hypodermic injection. Patrol arrested her for driving while ability impaired by drugs and secured her in the patrol car.

Patrol looked into the purse and located 10 total syringes and close to 100 waxed paper packets, which NCSO says is commonly used for selling/buying of heroin, although none appeared to have anything illegal inside them any longer. Patrol also located 39 suspected Clonezapam pills inside a cellophane wrapper.

Szczepankiewicz later told patrol that the packets were hers and that she was a heroin user and needed help. She was brought to Eastern Niagara Hospital-Lockport for blood work, which was submitted to the NCSO laboratory for analysis. All of the drug and drug equipment were submitted to the NCSO lab for testing and analysis.

Szcepankiewicz was taken to the Niagara County Jail where her bail was set at $250. She was given a court date in the Town of Lockport on May 6.

Patrol traced back the damage to the roadway left by the listed vehicle's bare rim scratching into the pavement to approximately the intersection of Saunders Settlement and Lockport Junction Road (estimated over 5 miles). The vehicle was towed by Herringtons with a 12 hour hold.

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