Dunkirk man charged after disturbances at two locations

DUNKIRK — A Dunkirk man who attempted to enter a Deer Street residence and was later creating a disturbance at a Lake Shore Drive residence, is facing charges.

Around 1:38 a.m. Sunday, city of Dunkirk police officers responded to an address on Deer Street for a report of a subject attempting entry into a residence. Upon officers’ arrival the subject, who was identified as Santos M. Almestica, 32, had fled the area.

It was determined that an active order of protection was in place ordering Almestica to stay away from the residence and the protected party who lives there.

A short time later officers received a complaint for an unwanted and disorderly subject at an address on Lake Shore Drive West. Officers arrived and located Almestica who was taken into custody. Almestica physically resisted officers during the arrest and booking process and attempted to kick the window out of one of the patrol cars.

Almestica was charged with first-degree criminal contempt, second-degree aggravated harassment, second-degree obstructing governmental administration and trespassing.

Almestica was being held at Dunkirk Police Department awaiting arraignment.

Wrong-way driver dies on Thruway

A Buffalo man, driving west in the eastbound lanes of the New York State Thruway, died in an accident Saturday morning. At about 1:27 a.m., State Police responded to reports of a vehicle traveling the wrong way on Interstate 90 in Erie County.

Troopers spotted the vehicle heading westbound in the eastbound lane in Hamburg. Troopers initially attempted to stop the vehicle with emergency lights activated while traveling behind it in the eastbound lane, but the driver failed to comply.

Troopers entered a u-turn and crossed over to the westbound lanes and continued to follow the vehicle in an attempt to get the driver to stop for several miles until it crashed head-on with a tractor-trailer in Evans.

The driver of the wrong-way vehicle was killed. He has been identified as Benjamin S. Wence, 44, of Buffalo. The driver of the tractor-trailer, Stephen M. Black, 30, of Phelps, suffered a minor injury.