NYC Man Crashed Trying To Flee Cops On Saw Mill With Children In Car

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — A forty-year-old New York City man was arrested after leading police on a brief, but wild chase.

Shortly before 11 a.m on Saturday, a Westchester County patrol officer tried to stop a white Mercedes SUV that was traveling south on the Saw Mill River Parkway just past Rte. 119, but the driver refused to stop, according to police.

The officer terminated a brief pursuit and shut off his emergency lights in the interest of safety. Further south, he observed the Mercedes slowed down in traffic at Lawrence St. and once again activated his emergency lights to attempted to stop the SUV. The Mercedes fled again down the right shoulder eventually hitting another vehicle, before swerving left and across two lanes of traffic and a turning lane before finally crashing into the center guardrail.

Once into the guardrail, the vehicle was undrivable and the driver, later identified as Jose Polo, fled on foot eastbound across traffic lanes and into the Saw Mill River, police said. He had a fraudulent driver’s license, in another name, from the Dominican Republic, rather than a valid license to drive, according to authorities.

The officer chased and apprehended the suspect a short time later. An off-duty Westchester County police officer saw Polo bail out of the car and be chased by the uniformed on-duty officer. He was able to assist in the capture and arrest.

A female passenger and two children from the Mercedes were seen by EMS as a precaution and released from the scene.

Polo, 40, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle and possession of a forged instrument, along with a slew of traffic violations.

He was arraigned in Dobbs Ferry village court and released on his own recognizance.