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The incident began around 7:49 p.m., Monday, June 21, in western Orange County.
Port Jervis Officer Andrew Dillinger was conducting speed enforcement on East Main Street near the Port Jervis Middle School when he observed a gray Chrysler sedan driving 50 miles an hour in a 30 per hour zone on East Main Street.
The vehicle was operating at a high rate of speed into a sharp curve located in front of the Port Jervis Middle School, passed a moving motor vehicle, and continued to operate at a high rate of speed passing moving vehicles and forcing on-coming traffic to pull to the side of the roadway to avoid a collision, said Port Jervis Police Chief William Worden.
Dillinger attempted to stop the vehicle and the driver of the sedan continued to operate at a high rate of speed through the tri-state section of the City of Port Jervis in a reckless manner while continuing to fail to comply.
Dillinger continued to pursue the vehicle onto I-84 where the driver exited in Westfall Township, Pennsylvania, Worden said.
The driver continued to operate recklessly and at high rates of speed through several streets located in Westfall Township and Matamoras, Pennsylvania, before reaching a boat launch to the Delaware River where she intentionally accelerated the vehicle and drove into the river, Worden added.
The vehicle was submerged to the center of the driver’s side door approximately 20 feet from shore with water filling up to the center console inside the passenger compartment. Port Jervis Police and Eastern Pike Regional police officers were unable to make contact with the driver from shore and did not see any movement inside the vehicle.
Dillinger and Officer Ryan Kievit entered the river and saw the driver of the vehicle slumped over the center counsel. It appeared to the officers that the driver’s face was near the waterline.
Out of concern, the driver was at risk of drowning, officers forcibly broke a side window to the vehicle and safely removed the driver, who was found to be conscious, alert, but non-verbal.
Officers carried the driver to shore where the driver was evaluated by EMS and transported to Bon Secours Community Hospital for treatment and a mental health evaluation.
The driver has been identified as a 49-year-old Port Jervis female whose name is being withheld.
No charges have been filed at this time and an investigation is being conducted by the Port Jervis City Police Department, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office with the assistance of the Eastern Pike Regional Police Department.
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