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The incident occurred in Rockland County in Spring Valley at 6:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
According to Spring Valley Police Det. Matt Galli, an officer en route to another call for service, found Westchester County resident Nelson Torres, age 54, of Yonkers, asleep at the wheel on Route 59.
Galli said the officer positioned his patrol car in front of the other vehicle to protect the driver and the public, called for additional officers, and then attempted to get into the car to render aid to the driver.
When officers could not rouse the driver or get into the car due to the locked doors, they attempted to break a window to gain entry, Gallie said. At this point, Torres woke up, tried evading officers, and fled westbound on Route 59.
Gallie said Torres intentionally crashed his car into unoccupied and stopped police cars and multiple other occupied vehicles of people traveling on the roadway in his attempt to get away.
The vehicle then became disabled a few hundred yards down the road from all the accidents and was penned in by police cars; at this point, he was removed from the vehicle and taken into custody.
Torres, two police officers, and several people from vehicles that were struck were taken to local hospitals with minor non-life-threatening injuries, Gallii said,
Torres was taken to Nyack Hospital for medical and psychological evaluation, where he remained as of Thursday, Aug. 29.
He was charged with:
- Reckless endangerment
- Unlawful fleeing of a police officer in a motor vehicle
- Reckless driving
- Leaving the scene of a personal injury accident
- Driving while ability-impaired
- Driving while ability impaired by drugs
- Numerous vehicle and traffic offenses.
This is a developing story. Check back to DailyVoice for updates.
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