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Off-duty Erie County Sheriff’s jail deputy arraigned in DWI crash causing serious injuries

A mugshot of Christopher D. Imhof of Cheektowaga, who is charged with DWI in a crash that left another person seriously injured.
Office of the Erie County District Attorney
A mugshot of Christopher D. Imhof of Cheektowaga, who is charged with DWI in a crash that left another person seriously injured.

A Cheektowaga man working as an Erie County Sheriff’s Office jail deputy was arraigned Friday morning in Cheektowaga Town Court on one count of Driving While Intoxicated, the Erie County District Attorney announced Friday.

Investigators say Christopher D. Imhof, 35, was off duty when he was driving eastbound on French Road near Garden Village Drive on Friday, August 21, 2026, at approximately 9:12 p.m.. It was there he allegedly crossed into the westbound lane, causing a head-on collision. Imhof is accused of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. 

The driver of the other vehicle, a 60-year-old male, was taken by ambulance to ECMC where he remains hospitalized with serious physical injuries. Imhof, meanwhile, was treated for his injuries and released. 

Imhof is scheduled to return for a pre-trial conference on Friday, November 13. As the charge against him is a non-qualifying offense for bail, he was released on his own recognizance.

The DA’s office says further charges could be pending.