VEHICLE PURSUIT ENDS WITH FELONY CHARGES
Buffalo, NY – Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia reports the arrest of an Erie, Pennsylvania man after a multi-agency pursuit through the towns of Brant, Evans, and Hamburg in the early morning hours of March 25.
At approximately 2:41 a.m., Deputies attempted to stop a vehicle for improper plates near Erie and Cain roads in the town of Brant. The vehicle refused to stop and continued into the town of Evans. There, Officers from the Evans Police Department deployed spike strips that damaged three tires.
The vehicle entered the New York State Thruway at Exit 57A and traveled eastbound in the westbound section of the highway. Law enforcement vehicles followed the vehicle while other police vehicles maneuvered in front of the pursued car to warn oncoming traffic.
The vehicle exited the Thruway at Exit 57 and traveled to Route 5, entering Woodlawn State Park. The vehicle finally stopped after it crashed into a Hamburg Police Department vehicle.
Carl Knight, 31 years old, was taken into custody. An investigation discovered the vehicle was reported stolen out of Erie, PA and Knight had a nationwide extradition warrant out of Alleghany County, Pennsylvania. The out-of-state warrant was issued for Knight by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections for parole violations. Deputies also discovered a quantity of cocaine in the stolen vehicle.
Knight was arrested and charged with the following:
Felonies
• Criminal possession of stolen property – vehicle;
• Reckless endangerment;
• Criminal possession of a controlled substance;
Misdemeanors
• Reckless driving;
• Resisting arrest;
• Obstruction of governmental administration;
Vehicle and traffic law violations
• Operate a vehicle by an unlicensed driver;
• Failure to keep right;
• Failed to stop at a stop sign;
• Running a red light;
• Unsafe lane change;
• No inspection;
• No registration;
• No insurance;
• Unsafe turn;
• Improper entrance/exit from a controlled highway;
• Driving on the shoulder of a controlled highway;
• Failure to abbey traffic device.
The stolen vehicle remained at or below the posted speed limit during the pursuit, and the Evans, Hamburg, village of Hamburg police departments, as well as the New York State Police, assisted with the incident.
The defendant faces charges from the Evans and Hamburg police departments. After being processed by those agencies, Knight will be remanded to the Erie County Holding Center pending arraignment for the Erie County Sheriff’s charges.
The defendant will remain at the holding center pending extradition proceedings and the completion of the local court proceedings.
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