Robert Caruso, an Ansonia Board of Education member accused of drunk driving, entered not-guilty pleas for five misdemeanor charges at Superior Court in Derby Thursday.
Caruso’s case was continued to Aug. 5, with no other action taken.
He will continue to have a suspended license and be prohibited from possessing firearms while he waits for his next court date, according to Judge Charles Lee.
Caruso, 51, allegedly crashed into a house at the intersection of Beaver Street and Myrtle Avenue May 19.
He was charged with operating under the influence, failure to obey a stop sign, failure to drive right, traveling unreasonably fast, and carrying a firearm while under the influence.
Attorney Norm Pattis said Caruso was not drunk, but rather suffering from an unspecified medical condition.
Attorney Daniel Erwin, who works at the same law firm as Pattis, represented Caruso in court Thursday while Pattis is on trial in New Haven.
“All I can say is we anticipate a medical defense in this case and we’ll present that at the appropriate time,” Erwin said outside of court, declining to comment further.
Caruso declined to comment outside of the courtroom Thursday.
No details about the medical condition were given in court. Erwin asked for a continuance to give Pattis time to gather more information about the condition.
Judge Lee noted that two months was a long continuance, but granted the request because Pattis will be away during the entire month of July.
“I’m giving your lawyer more than adequate time,” Lee said.
In addition to being a member of the Board of Education, Caruso is a long-time volunteer firefighter, an employee of the public works department and an auxiliary police officer in Derby.
As of June 6, Caruso, a local Republican, was still listed as a member of the Board of Education on the Ansonia Public Schools website.
Republican Town Committee Chairman Patrick Henri has said Caruso is a registered Republican, but is not an active member of the town committee.
“We would like to see him resign so it doesn’t become a distraction from the Board of Education or the Ansonia Public Schools,” Henri said Thursday. “I have not heard that he has.”
Police said Caruso was driving on Beaver Street on May 19 when he crossed over into the southbound lane and hit a chain link fence and a stop sign.
From there, police said Caruso drove across Myrtle Avenue and crashed into the foundation of a house, police said.
There were no injuries or other vehicles involved. Caruso was the only person in his vehicle.
Police said Caruso was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol but refused a Breathalyzer test.
