Officials said that on January 31, troopers charged a 45-year-old man from Gouverneur, St. Lawrence County, with multiple offenses, including 3rd degree unlawful fleeing a police officer, and 7th degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

That night, at approximately 9:36 PM , troopers report that they observed a blue 2008 Chevrolet commit a traffic violation in the Village of Gouverneur. Troopers says they attempted to initiate a traffic stop; however, the operator failed to comply.

New York State Police Arrest Man After Foot Pursuit

During the pursuit, police said in a press release that the operator lost control of the vehicle due to unsafe speed and exited the roadway off the north shoulder, striking a mailbox, barbed wire, and a tree.

The operator then fled the vehicle on foot, resulting in a brief foot pursuit. Troopers report that they made contact with the operator, who was taken into custody.

The suspect was identified, and transported to a nearby hospital for further medical evaluation. The suspect was then was treated and released and later transported for processing.

See Also: New York State Woman Allegedly Drove More Than 4X Over BAC Limit

Further investigation determined that the same suspect had an active bench warrant.  The suspect was arraigned separately for both the pursuit and the warrant, released, but is due back in court on a later date.

The Hometowns In New York With the Worst Quality Of Life

According to Lawnstarter, these hometowns in New York have the worst quality of life.

Would a Lower BAC Limit in New York State Reduce Fatalities?

Many lawmakers continue to push for lower BAC limits across the state.

Back in October 2023, a Wynantskill, NY man blew a a 0.38% BAC, which is 4.7 times over the state’s legal limit, according to New York State Police.

Thomas Louizou, a former federal traffic safety official and founder of the .05 Saves Lives Coalition, stated that 114 other countries had lower legal limits than the United States. WNYT says that other organizations like the National Transportation Safety Board and Mothers Against Drunk Driving have backed previous attempts to lower the limit.

Numbers from the NTSB posted at Stateline say that in the first year, Utah lowered the drunk driving limit, and traffic deaths were cut by 20%.