Driver now un-suspended after mixup

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - New York State suspended a West Valley man's driver's license for a violation committed by a driver from another country.

"I had mainly my girlfriend helping me most of the time. She would be driving me to the doctor's, or to the gym, or getting my pills. A pain in the butt because she is tight on her money," Ciegelski said.

He drove with a suspended license for more than two years after New York City officials charged him with "violating a traffic device." But Ciegelski never got a notice to appear in court. He found out about the suspension from his insurance agent.

Ciegelski recalled, "I says, 'Ruthie, I have never been to New York City in my whole life!'"

It turns out Ciegelski was the victim of a strange case of mistaken identity. The real driver who ran the red light presented a French identification whose nine-digits matched Ciegelski's exactly.

The DMV mistakenly put the violation on Ciegelski's driving record. And since the court paperwork was sent to a New York City address, Ciegelski did not know of the suspension.

Ciegelski called News 4's Call 4 Action team and now his driving record has been wiped clean. He can drive himself wherever he wants to go.

"And I can go in the city, and see my brother. He just had surgery a couple of months ago, and now I have a chance to go back out and see how he is doing," Ciegelski said.

But with a two-year license suspension, Ciegelski was also on the verge of losing his car insurance.

Ruth Bucki of the Randall Insurance Agency said, "It will be automatically reinstated. That's all he needs is to show he is reinstated, and he is good to go."

The $350 in fines and court costs for not showing up in New York City were also dismissed.