Minister Swerving Through Holland Tunnel Charged with DWI: Police

An Episcopalian minister who was allegedly driving erratically through the Holland Tunnel was charged with driving while intoxicated, Port Authority police said Saturday.

Witnesses reported to police they saw an orange Toyota swerve between lanes and strike the tunnel curb at about 6 p.m. Friday. The vehicle also stopped at one point inside the tunnel, witnesses said.

An officer pulled over the vehicle after it had emerged from the tunnel and stopped again in the roadway for no apparent reason, police said.

The Rev. Diane Reiners, 53, of Claremont Ave., was charged with DWI, reckless driving and possession of alcohol and a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle, police said.

Reiners is one of the assisting clergy at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan, according to the church website.

Reiners failed a sobriety test and the arresting officer found an open bottle of vodka and pain pills inside her vehicle, police said.

It was unclear whether Reiners had a lawyer. 

Reiners is a former chaplain of the SUNY Maritime College and has served as a liaison with the American Red Cross and government agencies during disaster relief efforts, including the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

Contact Us