SerpApi.Org
An officer resigned during an investigation into a police cruiser crash in Dutchess County earlier this month that left a fellow officer seriously injured, authorities said.
The crash originally happened at around 1:14 p.m. on Monday, July 6, on Route 199 near the intersection of Lake Road and Stissing Mountain Road in Pine Plains, as Daily Voice previously reported.
There, a Pine Plains police cruiser collided with another vehicle, sending both officers in the patrol car to the hospital. One officer was later released with minor injuries, while the second was transported to Albany Medical Center with more serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries.
According to the department's report, the patrol vehicle was being driven by Officer Brian Johnson, a recent Police Academy graduate, with Officer Aaron Fantroy riding as a passenger. The other vehicle, a 2003 Lincoln, was driven by a Pine Plains man.
The driver of the Lincoln initially declined medical treatment. Meanwhile, Johnson was treated for minor injuries and released later that evening, while Fantroy was transferred to Albany Medical Center for further treatment. Police said he has since been released and is recovering at home.
To keep transparency for the public, Pine Plains police said in a statement on Friday, July 17, that they asked the New York State Police to conduct the crash investigation while the department launched its own internal administrative review.
State Police eventually determined the Lincoln had stopped in the westbound lane of Route 199 while waiting for oncoming traffic to clear before making a left turn into his driveway when the police cruiser struck his vehicle from behind.
According to investigators, Johnson told State Police he had been scanning the right shoulder of the roadway and did not realize Hill's vehicle had stopped until the last moment.
Dash camera footage reviewed by both agencies showed the Lincoln's brake lights and left turn signal were illuminated as its driver waited to turn. The video, released by Pine Plains Police on social media, shows the patrol vehicle striking the rear of the Lincoln, damaging both vehicles.
Police said the investigation also determined Johnson was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and an internal review found there was no indication he had been distracted by either a cellphone or the in-car laptop immediately before the crash.
At the time of the collision, Johnson was still participating in the department's supervised field training program.
Investigators concluded the crash was non-criminal and that driver inattention was the primary contributing factor.
During the investigation, Johnson voluntarily resigned from the Pine Plains Police Department, according to police.
The investigation was still ongoing as of Friday. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact the Pine Plains Police Department at 518-771-3338 or by email at [email protected].
Related stories:
