New York State Police determined that driver inattention or distraction caused a July 6 crash in which a Pine Plains police vehicle struck a stopped car from behind on Route 199. No traffic tickets or summonses were issued.
The State Police investigation is complete, Trooper Krystal Paolicelli, a department spokesperson, told the Herald on Thursday.
Pine Plains Police officer Brian J. Johnson, who was driving the police vehicle, told investigators that he had been scanning the right side and shoulder of the roadway and did not see the stopped car until the last second, according to Paolicelli. Johnson applied the brakes but was unable to stop before striking the car from behind.
State Police said the police vehicle’s speed before the collision could not be determined. Johnson was not tested for alcohol or drug impairment after the crash.
The crash occurred at approximately 1:14 p.m. July 6 near Stissing Mountain Road. A 2003 Lincoln driven by George H. Hill, 66, of Pine Plains, was stopped on Route 199 while waiting for oncoming traffic to clear before making a left turn when it was struck from behind by the 2017 Ford driven by Johnson, State Police said.
Hill was not injured and declined medical evaluation at the scene. Johnson and Officer Aaron L. Fantroy, who was riding as a passenger, sustained injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Fantroy had remained hospitalized after the crash. Pine Plains Town Supervisor Brian Walsh said Thursday that Fantroy was expected to be released that day. An Albany Medical Center representative told the Herald Thursday afternoon that Fantroy was not listed as a patient at the hospital at the time of the call.
The police vehicle sustained damage to its front end and right side, while Hill’s car sustained rear-end damage, Walsh said. The cruiser was towed from the scene by L & S Towing.
State Police said there was no criminal conduct associated with the crash.
The Pine Plains Police Department is also conducting an internal investigation, Walsh said Wednesday. Walsh did not respond Thursday to a request for comment on whether Johnson could face disciplinary action.
WAIT A SECOND. Something does not add up here! Cop was clearly flying. If this was a non pine plains police officer. There’d be tickets
It is curious that the officer wasn’t tested for alcohol or drugs. I seriously doubt he would have tested positive but seems like a departure from protocol. Also, if there are two officers in the vehicle maybe the one not driving should be doing the scanning.
No Tickets issued? This whole scenario does not sound right. If the non driving officer was taken to the hospital, why Albany Med and not Northern Dutchess. No testing for drugs or alcohol? Why? What is being hidden about this. Just does not sound right! If this had been a private citizen, he would have been ticketed and given tests for alcohol and drugs. So why is this being treated any differently? Should be lots of questions here – for the State Police as well!
They are hiding something. From the look of the civilians car the cop was flying and did you check for skid marks. I agree if there are two officers this should never happen. The officer driving should have their badge taken. This is ridiculous. Corruption in the Pine Plains Police Department. NYS Troopers need to take this seriously!
B Walsh et al awarded these clowns an AR 15 a couple years ago along with his 10% annual raise that’s now cost the taxpayers $8k. That and raising our taxes above the established 2% cap. And they always said democrats were “tax and spend”.
Not to mention his pushback on new business coming to town. Cop Skates like nothing happened. Someone should look up protocol for pine plains police officers when in an accident on duty. Im sure a blood test and or breathalyzer is on there. These town officials can do whatever they want, but got forbid somebody new wants to start a tax generating business for the town HE’LL SLOW IT DOWN TO
Law enforcement in general doesn’t investigate it’s own. A perk of the job. But not being able to tell how fast is a no brainer, the EDR ( event data recorder ) does just that for every new car. So was the car going so fast it destroyed the EDR? Can anyone get that information. And “scanning to the right” sounds like he was looking at his laptop or phone.
Many inconsistencies here. As several others stated, no alcohol and drug test? That would have been mandatory if a civilian had been driving. I can see from the photo how severe the crash was, so without a doubt the police car airbags deployed. If so the speed of the vehicle should be stored in the memory of the restraint system module. No photos of the police car damage? This was not a slow speed crash. The vehicle hit from behind is an older Lincoln Town Car. Those are big and heavy and have full perimeter frames. They don’t fold up like that without a hard hit. Everyone makes errors in judgement and I assume the officers involved would pass the tests a civilian would be required to take but that’s not the issue here. Professionalism and transparency is. A civilian would have at the least been issued a distracted driving citation.