Cops arrest garbage truck driver for drunk driving, crashing into several parked cars in Bensonhurst

Police arrested a 40-year-old male garbage truck driver on five charges after he crashed into several parked cars in the Bensonhurst area.

Authorities allege that, on Saturday, June 9 at around 5:30 a.m., Anthony Castaldo was driving a private sanitation truck at a high speed eastbound at 60th Street and 19th Avenue when he lost control and collided with several parked cars before hitting the front of a building on 60th Street between 18th and 19th Avenues.

When officers arrived at the scene, authorities allege, they noticed that the suspect had watery eyes, slurred speech and an unsteady gait. They say he was being uncooperative with officers and pushed one of them away before fleeing on foot.

Cops also say that one officer chasing the alleged perp fell to the ground, sustaining minor injuries. Nonetheless, the driver was apprehended at 59th Street and 19th Avenue at around 6 a.m., despite the fact that the suspect continued to ignore lawful instruction given to him, say police.

According to authorities, one cop used a Taser, striking the suspect in the torso, to subdue him.

EMS transported the driver to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition. He refused a breathalyzer test.

Castaldo was charged with resisting arrest, reckless driving, leaving the scene, DWAI and refusing to take a breathalyzer.

Viking Sanitation, Castaldo’s employer, released a statement to the press.

“Our company has a long track record of safety and we hold ourselves to high standards, including random drug testing for drivers,” it read. “It appears that this driver failed to adhere to our standards and he was immediately suspended as part of the ongoing investigation of this serious incident.”