Case of man charged in back-to-back crashes returns to court

Lysander (WSYR-TV) - Tuesday, Clifton Reynolds was sentenced to one-to-three years in prison for the first of two serious car crashes on successive days in May. Wednesday, he learned that he will serve one concurrent year for the second crash.

One day after he plowed into the Pier 57 restaurant in the Town of Clay, Reynolds crashed head-on into a vehicle on River Road and caused serious injuries to 23-year-old Richard Zimmerman. Reynolds pleaded guilty to charges stemming from both crashes.

In the River Road crash, Reynolds pleaded guilty to reckless driving, was sentenced to one year in prison. That sentence will be served concurrently with the sentence handed down Tuesday in Clay from charges stemming from the crash at the Pier 57 Restaurant.

Richard Zimmerman's father, Mike Zimmerman, attended the sentencing. He says Reynolds seemed sincere in his apology to the Zimmerman family. "A lot of people think this guy should have been sent up the river for a lot longer. Unfortunately that's just the way it is," said Zimmerman. "If you took the case just on the merits of its own self, he probably wouldn't have got this if there weren't other circumstances around it."

Richard Zimmerman wasn't able to attend the hearing because he is sick. The sentencing was the first time Mike Zimmerman was able to see Reynolds in person. "I just hope that he gets the help that he needs in prison or wherever he is going and that he turns his life around," said Mike Zimmerman. "He's got a new baby - he stated that in court - that that kind of motivated him to actually turn his life around. I mean, God's given him another chance, unfortunately he's going to have to start from the bottom."

Reynolds attorney, Michael Vavonese, says his client was overwhelmed by Mike Zimmerman's gracious comments in the courtroom. "There is no question in the world that Mr. Reynolds is overwhelmingly remorseful for what he's done and looks forward to getting the help that he needs, and paying back his debt to society," he said.

Richard Zimmerman is still going to rehabilitation for the leg injury he sustained in the crash on May 20.

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - The suspect charged with crashing into the Pier 57 restaurant in the Town of Clay was sentenced to one to three years in prison in Onondaga County Court Tuesday morning.

Clifton Reynolds is accused of crashing into the front of the Pier 57 Restaurant while high on drugs last May. He will have to pay between $8,000 and $10,000 in restitution. The crash did about $18,000 worth of damage to the restaurant. Insurance only covered about half of it.

Reynolds will serve 1 to 3 years in state prison.

Reynolds is also facing reckless driving and other charges for a second crash that happened around 24 hours after the first. The crash on River Road in the Town of Lysander critically injured Richard Zimmerman.

Defense attorney Michael Vavonese said much of the problem can be traced to drug abuse.  "He's struggled with this for a while" said Vavonese outside the courtroom this morning.  "He looks forward to getting treatment he needs so this will never happen again".

Reynolds will be sentenced Wednesday in Lysander Town Court to one year in prison for that crash. The prison terms will be served concurrently.

Stay with NewsChannel 9 and 9wsyr.com for updates.

Lysander (WSYR-TV) - Clifton Reynolds has pleaded guilty to plowing into the Pier 57 Restaurant while high on drugs last May. He also faces charges from another crash in Lysander that occurred the next day.

Reynolds, 35, of Clay, was initially charged with a misdemeanor, driving while ability impaired. That charge was later elevated to three felonies, DWI, driving while impaired by drugs and aggravated unlicensed operator. Additionally, he was charged with imprudent speed and driving to the left of pavement markings.

By pleading guilty, Clifton Reynolds will serve between one and four years in prison.

Reynolds is also facing reckless driving and other charges for the second crash, which critically injured Richard Zimmerman on River Road. The District Attorney's office says those charges will be handled in Lysander Town Court at a later date, which has not yet been determined by a judge.

Clay (WSYR-TV) - A man involved in two accidents in two consecutive days was arraigned in Town of Clay Court on Friday. He is charged with three felonies related to a crash on Wednesday afternoon, in which the SUV he was driving slammed into the front door of the Pier 57 Restaurant in Liverpool.

Clifton Reynolds, 35, of Clay, was initially charged with a misdemeanor, driving while ability impaired. That charge was elevated to a Felony DWI after a second crash, the next day, on River Road in Baldwinsville.

County Sheriff Kevin Walsh says at the time Reynolds was arrested for crashing to Pier 57, they were waiting on his conviction record. He says that is why Reynolds was only charged with a misdemeanor - a traffic ticket.

Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick says he isn't satisfied. "Why was he not physically taken into custody and arrested for felony? That's standard procedure."

That, the Sheriff says, is just how the system works. Even if he had been charged with a felony, he would most likely have gotten bail. "We have people charged with murder out on bail. This is felony DWI, but there are many DWIs in this community and other communities."

Reynolds was charged Friday with three felonies related to Wednesday's crash: DWI, driving while impaired by drugs and aggravated unlicensed operator. Additionally, he was charged with imprudent speed and driving to the left of pavement markings.

For Thursday's River Road accident, Reynolds was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, aggravated unlicensed operator, reckless driving, imprudent speed and driving to the left of pavement markings.

Reynolds didn't have a license at the time of either crash - it was suspended following a DWAI conviction in Oswego County last month. "That's where our problem is: total disregard for the legal system," said Sheriff Walsh.

"There's a point where society says we've had enough," said District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick. "But there ought to be instances, where if you get multiple offenses DWI or DWAI in a period of time, you lose your license 5 to 10 years along those lines."

After his arraignment, Reynolds was transferred to the Onondaga County Justice Center in lieu of $35,000cash/$60,000 bond for the Clay charges and $15,000cash /$30,000 bond for the Lysander charges.

Reynolds's next scheduled court appearance is May 26, in Town of Clay Court at 3:00 p.m.

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - After his dramatic crash on Wednesday afternoon, many were stunned to hear that Clifton Reynolds was also behind the wheel in a second serious accident the very next day.

Brandon Heffernan was right across the street from the spot where Reynolds crashed into Rich Zimmerman. "I was sitting in the living room and hear tires squealing, just a giant crash I knew there was a car accident," Heffernan said.

Once he became aware of one of the drivers' identities, Heffernan, like so many, was shocked that Reynolds was even on the road in the first place. "I would think they'd have had an eye on him, to make sure he was all right. Someone needs to make sure he's not making bad choices and stuff like that," he said.

Heffernan's girlfriend, Heather Olivia, who was at the nail salon next to Pier 57 Restaurant when Reynolds crashed into that, was on her way to the house. "I was just shocked and then to find out it was the same person I couldn't believe it," she said. "I feel so badly for everyone involved."

Pier 57 Restaurant owner Bill Ennis also couldn't believe the news. "I thought with the traffic violation combined with drugs and alcohol, those would put him in jail. When I found out it was just a court appearance, I was shocked," Ennis said.

Ennis expressed sympathy for Rich Zimmerman and his friends and family, and also noted that things could have gone much worse at his restaurant on Wednesday. "We were lucky here we had no injuries, just cosmetic things," Ennis said. "Insurance will take care of that, but the boy last night? That's totally different. Hopefully he'll be okay."

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - The man involved in two serious crashes in two days will be charged with a felony DWI relating to the initial accident on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Clifton Reynolds, 35, of Clay, was initially charged with a misdemeanor, driving while ability impaired.

Reynolds crashed an SUV into Pier 57 Restaurant around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday and was extracted from the vehicle while semi-conscious. He was driving a borrowed car despite having his license suspended for 90 days starting the same day of the accident. He refused to take a breath or blood test and was charged with DWAI after the police found controlled substances on him. He was also charged with aggravated unlicensed operation.

Reynolds spent the night in University Hospital and left Thursday. People involved in DWI incidents typically are not detained, they are given tickets.

After leaving the hospital, Reynolds returned to the home of the woman he had initially borrowed an SUV from and borrowed a Chevy Trailblazer. The woman claims he took the vehicle without her permission.

At 9 p.m., Reynolds' second crash occurred when his vehicle veered into the opposite lane on River Road and crashed into a Chevy Impala belonging to Richard Zimmerman.

After the second crash, police say a breath test showed no alcohol in Reynolds' system, but blood-test results are still pending. The police also obtained a search warrant to retrieve a blood sample University Hospital drew from Reynolds on Wednesday night.

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - A man involved in two serious crashes on Wednesday and Thursday had a more extensive history of drunk-driving charges than was previously reported.

Clifton Reynolds, who smashed a green SUV into the front door of the Pier 57 Restaurant in Liverpool on Wednesday and then crashed head-on into a car on River Road in Lysander on Thursday night, was driving in spite of serving the first day of a 90-day license suspension relating to a 2009 DWAI charge in Oswego.

In addition to the 2009 charge, Reynolds had two previous charges for drunk driving, first in 1996 and then again in 2001.

Baldwinsville (WSYR-TV) - Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh says the man who caused the crash near the Pier 57 restaurant Wednesday is responsible for causing a collision Thursday night on River Road in Baldwinsville.

The Sheriff's Office says Clifton Reynolds, 35, was speeding south on River Road in Lysander around 9 p.m. when he crossed into the northbound lane and hit a Chevy Impala head-on. The impact was so forceful that it turned the other car around and pinned Reynolds' Chevy Trailblazer against the guard rail. It took rescue crews 40 minutes to cut both men out of their cars.

"The one vehicle was pinned against the guard rail. The other vehicle was right up against it. So the biggest thing was getting the victim out of the first vehicle, so we could access the second one," said Belgium Cold Springs Fire Chief Chris Evans.

The driver of the car, Richard Zimmerman, 23, was flown to University Hospital where he is in serious condition. Reynolds suffered a leg injury. He is also at University Hospital and is expected to recover.

Reynolds will be charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, imprudent speed, and failure to keep right.

On Wednesday, deputies say Reynolds had been drinking when he caused the crash at the Pier 57 restaurant.  He was charged with driving while impaired. NewsChannel 9 later learned that Reynolds has a history of DWI. He was driving despite serving the first day of a 90-day suspended license stint stemming from a DWI charge on November 13. The vehicle he was driving was one he borrowed from a woman.

Following the Wednesday crash, Reynolds refused to be subjected to a breath test, but was charged with DWAI when the police found illegal substances on him. After leaving University Hospital on Thursday, Reynolds took the second vehicle belonging to the same woman from whom he borrowed the SUV he crashed on Wednesday.

A breath test following the Thursday night crash revealed no alcohol. The police also took a blood sample, but were awaiting test results. The police also obtained search warrants for the sample University Hospital took on Wednesday.

Liverpool (WSYR-TV) - The driver who crashed his SUV into the Pier 57 Restaurant on Wednesday has a history of DWI, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

On the same day that Clifton Reynolds' smashed into the front door of the restaurant, he was supposed to be serving the first day of a suspended license stint.

The 90-day license suspension stemmed from a November 13 incident in Oswego when he was charged with driving while impaired.

Previously, on September 1 2001, Reynolds was charged with DWI in the Town of Van Buren, though DMV records indicate he was granted a conditional discharge.

Police estimate Reynolds was driving 65 miles per hour when he struck a silver car and careened into the restaurant's parking lot on Wednesday.

Clay (WSYR-TV) - The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office reports an accident that resulted in a SUV crashing into the entrance of the Pier 57 restaurant was caused by an intoxicated driver.

A green 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, driven by Clifton Reynolds, 35, of Clay, rear ended a silver Toyota Corolla around 2:30 Wednesday afternoon on Oswego Road. Sheriff's Deputies say the force of the impact pushed the Corolla 50 yards into the northbound lane. Reynolds' SUV traveled through the parking lot toward the restaurant. Before it slammed into Pier 57's entrance, the SUV hit a parked vehicle and started to roll.

Rescue crews from the Moyers Corners Fire Department had to cut Reynolds from the vehicle. He was then transported to University Hospital for treatment of injuries reported to be non-life threatening. No one inside the restaurant was injured and both passengers of the Corolla escaped without injury.

Sheriff’s deputies have charged Reynolds with driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated-drugs, unlawful possession of marijuana, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the 2nd degree, imprudent speed, and driving left of the center line.

Liverpool (WSYR-TV) - A vehicle has crashed into the Pier 57 restaurant in Liverpool.

A green SUV rolled into the canopy outside the front door and into in the restaurant's entry way.

One man had to be removed through the top of the green SUV and was taken to the hospital.

The SUV rear-ended a silver car on Route 57 and flew into the front of the restaurant. The restaurant was open but no one inside was injured.

The silver car has been towed away, but emergency workers on the scene have just begun working on the SUV.

After a being shutdown by emergency crews responding to the crash, Route 57 northbound was re-opened around 4:20 p.m.

9WSYR.com will have more information as details emerge.