Dirt Bike Rider Evades Hudson Valley Police; Crashes at Ice Cream Stand

A teenager on a dirt bike took police on a wild chase this week, ending in a spectacular crash at a popular ice cream spot.

Last summer, police saw a huge increase in illegal bikes causing havoc on roads throughout the Hudson Valley. One of the worst incidents occurred in the Village of Wappingers Falls last September when a group of outlaw bikers surrounded and overpowered state police who were attempting to assist a fallen rider.

Groups of riders on unregistered dirt bikes have been seen doing tricks and putting other motorists at risk by driving recklessly at high speeds. Sadly, some of these incidents have ended in tragedy, with dirt bike and motorcycle riders being seriously injured or killed. However, unavoidable accidents like these have seemingly done nothing to stop these outlaw bikers from taking to the streets of the Hudson Valley.

Police Chase Illegal Dirt Bike in Red Hook, New York

Police in Red Hook, New York say they've received "numerous" complaints from residents about reckless dirt bikes being driven through town. Some residents claim the bikes have been weaving in and out of traffic and even "playing chicken" with cars on Route 9.

On Sunday, one of these unregistered dirt bikes was seen by police on Linden Avenue just before 8pm. A patrol officer attempted to stop the rider, but was unsuccessful at getting them to pull over. The dirt bike operator fled into the village, where they were seen by another police officer who also attempted a traffic stop.

The rider increased their speed and avoided police again, heading south on Route 9 towards the Hardscrapple Plaza, riding on sidewalks at "excessive speeds", according to authorities.

The chase ended when the dirt bike rider lost control trying to cut through the parking lot of the Holy Cow ice cream stand. After crashing, officers were finally able to catch up and take the rider into custody.

The dirt bike was impounded and the rider was given tickets for Reckless Driving and Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer. The 18-year-old biker was released and ordered to appear in court at a later date to face the charges.