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Mahwah police initially began chasing an Acura MDX driven by Henry L. Cofrancesco Jr., 51, of Hamden, CT, on southbound Route 287 last Thursday afternoon.
South Nyack and New York State Police joined the pursuit at speeds that law enforcement sources said ranged from 75 to 90 miles an hour.
The chase continued through Rockland County and crossed the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo (Tappan Zee) Bridge before ending at mile marker 5.2 on Route 87 as the evening rush hour in Westchester was beginning.
Cofrancesco “intentionally caused damage to two troop cars, a South Nyack patrol car and a Mahwah patrol car” during the incident, New York State Police said in a release Monday.
A passenger, Jennifer L. DeJesus, 45, of New Haven, CT, was taken to transported to White Plains Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, State Police said.
Cofrancesco, meanwhile, was assessed at the scene by EMS and declined medical treatment before troopers took him into custody, they added.
State Police said the troopers found Cofrancesco with stolen merchandise, valued at more than $3,000, reported stolen from pet stores in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They charged him with possession of stolen property, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and fleeing.
Although a judge in White Plains ordered his release pending further court action, State Police sent Cofrancesco to the Westchester County Jail to await extradition proceedings.
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