Two Spring Valley men were hit with felony drunken driving charges early this morning for driving the same car on the Palisades Interstate Parkway, according to Orangetown police.

Police said the men changed seats after their car was stopped on the parkway at about 3 a.m., however, both men were intoxicated. The incident began when Orangetown police officers were searching the area of the rest stop and gas station on the parkway near the Exit 5 interchange in Tappan for a suspect being sought by New Jersey police. While at the rest stop, Orangetown police spotted two cars headed northbound on the parkway at speeds above 100 mph.

Police said Orangetown officers were able to keep the cars in sight for several miles and were able to safely stop the cars as they were weaving through traffic. The driver of the first car stopped, a 2007 Honda, was issued several traffic tickets, including one for operating car at an unreasonable speed. The second car, a 2005 BMW, was driven by Yul Patrick, 48, of Spring Valley, police said. However, when an Orangetown police officer stepped away from the BMW, police said Patrick and passenger Maurice Brown, 42, of Spring Valley switched seats. As they were switching places, police said one of the men threw a full cup of beer out of the passenger window — nearly spilling the beer on a town police car and a police officer.

Police said that after Patrick and Brown switched places, Brown drove the BMW up the parkway and parked the car on the road shoulder. Both Patrick and Brown were given field sobriety tests and failed, police said. Both men were arrested and charged with felony driving while intoxicated because both Patrick and Brown have previously been convicted of DWI, police said.

Brown was also charged with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.