Suffolk County cops are banking that a souped-up $60,000 Corvette Stingray seized from a chronic drunk driver will send would-be boozehounds a clear message — a DWI will cost you.
The classic car, which was seized by Suffolk from its former owner in 2022 under a county law, is at the center of a new police PR campaign to put the brakes on drunk drivers and part of the department’s ongoing crackdown on DWI that has already helped cut the number of fatal wrecks over the past three years.
“It was quite an impactful seizure,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina told The Post. “I’m sure the individual [prior owner] is going to remember this for the rest of his life.
“Quite frankly, that night we might have saved his life,” Catalina said. “He’s driving drunk and God know what could have happened to him if we didn’t take the car. We want people to know that if you drive drunk in Suffolk County, this could happen to your car.”
The mint 2020 ‘Vette has a sunroof and a V8 engine and under 3,000 miles on it. The sweet ride has a Kelley Blue Book value of $60,000 to $65,000 — while similar models listed for sale online go for as much as $90,000.
Cops impounded and seized the car after the previous owner’s second drunken driving arrest, then gave the vehicle a complete Suffolk County PD paint job and makeover.
The vehicle is rigged with a police siren and flashing lights, with one distinct marking you don’t see on your standard patrol car — “DWI seizure.”
The car is not expected to join the department’s fleet, but rather will be used for display during public events and parades as a visual reminder that a DWI bust could take a chunk out of your wallet.
“Whatever money we could have gotten for this car at auction — this is an investment in the future for us,” Catalina said. “We get to use this car over and over again, and we’re hoping that this is going to deter drunk driving in Suffolk County.
“I think we got our money back 10 times over,” he said. “If we save a life, it would be like investing in Amazon in the ’90s.”
The department stepped up efforts to take drunk drivers off the roads in 2023, which has led to a dip in traffic fatalities and remains and important focus for the force.
“We’ve told that patrol cops out in the street, ‘Hey, if you want to advance in the Suffolk County Police Department and you’re coming into my office to see me about making detective or going to an investigative unit, I expect you to have DWI arrests,” the commissioner said.
Originally adopted in 1999, the county’s vehicle seizure law was tweaked in 2004 after legal challenges.
