New York State DEC Says Man Tried to Escape By Using Rideshare

Ridesharing was once referred to as the "future of public transport", as companies such as Uber, Lyft, and others allow riders to use mobile apps to request rides from nearby drivers. This can help provide quick and easy transportation, while removing some of the excess congestion on our roads.

Attempting to escape custody from law enforcement is not what these rideshare programs were intended for, though officials say a suspect in New York State tried to do just that recently.

New York State DEC Says Man Tried to Escape Custody Using Rideshare

The New York State Department of Enviromental Conservation says that officers observed a man and woman fishing along Catskill Creek in the town of Durham.

Google Maps

The DEC says that the officers ticketed the woman for failing to possess a valid New York State fishing license. The man did not have identification but provided a name and date of birth that came back to an active fishing license.

Officers ran the license plate on a motorcycle in the parking lot and learned the plate was reported stolen to the Schodack Police Department and did not match the type of motorcycle at the location, says the DEC.

The DEC says that officers contacted Schodack Police who reported a male subject matching the description of the fisherman recently fled from police during a pursuit. They also informed officers that the same individual violated the terms of his probation and had active bench warrants out of the towns of Schodack and East Greenbush.

But when officers returned to the creek to investigate further, they discovered the subject had fled on foot.

They requested assistance from a Greene County Sheriff’s K-9 unit which responded immediately and helped the DEC track the man through the woods to a waiting vehicle. The subject apparently ordered a rideshare for transportation out of the area.

The DEC says the suspect was taken into custody, and is facing a number of charges including two counts of bail jumping, one count of criminal impersonation.