To avoid the questionaire on the link:

Man charged with BWI in fatal crash
September 28, 2003
By Dick Clarke
Staff writer

A Van Buren man was charged with boating while intoxicated after a crash
Friday night on the Seneca River that killed a 5-year-old boy, Onondaga
County sheriff's officials said Saturday.

James M. Wehr, 42, of 112 Seneca Ave., Van Buren, was missing after the 7:22
p.m. crash, and divers searched the river near Community Park in Van Buren
for nearly 41/2 hours before stopping for the night. Deputies later found
him at his house shortly after midnight.

Wehr apparently had been hiding somewhere during the search, Undersheriff
Warren Darby said Saturday.

Wehr was charged with boating while intoxicated, reckless operation,
imprudent speed and leaving the scene of the accident. Sheriff's officials
declined to comment on Wehr's blood alcohol content.

When questioned about possible additional charges, Darby said, "It was a
motor vehicle accident that caused a death. The DA may look and see if he
wants to bring this in front of the grand jury - it could possibly be
vehicular manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide."

Darby said a sheriff's department investigation determined that Wehr drove
his 20-foot Bayliner into the front of a 35-foot cruiser, causing the crash
near the boat launch at the park, also called Lions Club Park. The accident
was in Van Buren just outside the village of Baldwinsville and east of Lock
24.

The driver of the cruiser, Michael Chesebro, 49, of 101 Seneca Ave., Van
Buren, was not charged. Chesebro and two passengers in his boat were not
hurt.

"In everything we've checked, the driver of the cruiser was in no way
responsible," Darby said. "He had the proper lights, he was going below the
posted speed limit of 5 mph.

"We've concluded that the other boat was probably going between 25 and 30
knots," Darby said. That's about 29 to 35 mph.

Details of the crash had been sketchy Friday night, as sheriff's
investigators sought to determine what happened.

Wehr had two children in his boat, Trey Griffis, 5, and Chase Kelly, 8.
Griffis suffered head trauma and was declared dead at University Hospital
soon after the crash, Darby said. Kelly was treated at University and
released.

Both boys lived at 34 Curtis Ave., Baldwinsville, but were not related,
Darby said. Griffis' mother and Kelly's father live together, he said. Darby
said Wehr is Griffis' step-grandfather, "as far as anyone can determine."

After the search of the river ended about 11:45 p.m. Friday, a neighbor
spotted Wehr walking toward his house on Seneca Avenue, which runs along the
river near the park. The neighbor called 911.

A short while later, deputies went to Wehr's house, questioned him and
placed him under arrest.

Wehr was arraigned Saturday in Baldwinsville Village Court before Judge
Elijah Huling Jr. He pleaded innocent and was taken to the Justice Center
jail. Bail was set at $2,500 cash or $5,000 bond. He was released on bail.

"We've turned the investigation over to the district attorney's office,"
Darby said.

Donna Stevens, a neighbor on Curtis Avenue, said Griffis had not lived there
long. She said he and his mother had just moved in with Chase Kelly and his
father, Adam.

"I can say he was a real nice little boy," she said. "He loved to come over
to see the frogs in the little pond we have."