DOVER — Vermont State Game Wardens are reminding snowmobilers to stay sober if they are planning to get on their snow machine and head out on the trails.
Consuming alcohol while operating a snowmobile is illegal and dangerous.
Wardens report that on Monday, Feb. 17, they were conducting a routine snowmobile patrol on VAST trail C7-100 near the Stratton-Dover line when they encountered Lawrence Orenstein, 61, of Wilmington driving a snowmobile without up-to-date VAST stickers or registration. A warden stopped Orenstein for the infraction.
While investigating the registration issue, wardens detected a strong odor of intoxicants from Orenstein. So they took a preliminary breath test trailside that resulted in a blood alcohol content reading of 0.132 percent; the legal limit for driving a snowmobile in Vermont is 0.08.
Orenstein was arrested and taken to the Dover Police Department for processing. He refused to take a blood alcohol test at the Dover PD. Law enforcement cited Orenstein for snowmobiling while intoxicated (SWI) and released. He is scheduled to answer the charge in Windham County Superior Court, Criminal Division, in Brattleboro on March 31.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife, which reported this arrest, noted that Wilmington police charged Orenstein with driving under the influence (DUI) on Oct. 3, 2019 and because of this he was also charged with violating conditions of release for the Feb. 17 violation.  If convicted of the original DUI and SWI, Orenstein faces fines of not more than $1,500, a maximum of two years in prison and 200 hours of community service.