AKWESASNE, N.Y. -- Video of a police pursuit, up to the crash where two people died, was played for reporters Thursday to quell rumors that the fleeing vehicle was forced off the road.
Franklin County District Attorney Derek Champagne made the unusual move even before he has a final investigative report from St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police because there are false versions of the events circulating in the Akwesasne community.
'RUMORS'
Amber Lynn Aliff, 19, of Cook Road and Dakota "Cobra" Benedict, 22, of St. Regis, Quebec, were killed about 2:25 a.m. Oct. 26 on North Road when their vehicle left the highway on a curve and struck a tree.
Aliff was driving a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix, and Benedict was the back-seat passenger. The front-seat passenger, Sidney Oakes, 19, of Snye, Quebec, is recovering from her injuries in a Burlington hospital and is listed in stable condition.
"There are a number of rumors out there, and even though the investigation is not complete, I wanted to present it to the media to see for yourselves that the rumors are not truthful or accurate," Champagne said.
He said he still has a number of questions about the case, but he will not get those answered until the Tribal Police have finished their investigation and report.
The final report will include all of the police radio calls and dispatcher transmissions, as well as possible cellphone calls and text messages sent by one or more of the occupants of Aliff's vehicle during the pursuit.
Champagne said a decision on the next step in the case would be determined once all of that information is turned over to his office.
LIGHTS TURNED ON
The video from the Akwesasne Mohawk Police cruiser starts at 2:18:35 a.m. with the patrol car following the sedan in Quebec.
Both vehicles arrive at a stop sign, where Aliff signals left and makes the turn onto St. Regis Road.
The police follow, and as she accelerates, the patrol car's flashing lights turn on at 2:18:47 a.m. and it increases in speed to about 42 mph to try to catch up to her.
RUNS STOP SIGN
However, Aliff does not stop and drives through a stop-sign intersection without stopping.
She continues driving south on St. Regis Road as the patrol car's speed reaches 54 mph, then 59 mph, trying to catch up as she is pulling farther away.
CROSS BORDER
Champagne said that during the pursuit, the Akwesasne Police, who are based on the Canadian side of the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, called Tribal Police on the American side of the border to inform officers of the situation coming their way.
The DA also pointed out in the video that the single, center-pavement line turned into a double-solid line, indicating that the cars had crossed the international border into the United States at 2:18:58 a.m.
LIGHTS TURNED OFF
The patrol car's speed fluctuates between 54 mph to 61 mph, with Aliff's vehicle well in front. The Akwesasne police turn off their flashing lights at 2:19:35 a.m., and they continue to follow the sedan as it opens up an even farther distance at 2:20:03 a.m.
The patrol car is going 56 mph at 2:20:42 a.m. when a row of street lights begin at the top of the screen, indicating the cars are coming closer to the intersection with Route 37.
POLICE STOP
The video shows Aliff driving straight through a red light at the intersection at 2:21:26 a.m., then quickly swerving to the left, where she barely avoids crashing into a car traveling west on Route 37.
As the patrol car gets to the same intersection, the traffic light is still red. The police cruiser stops and waits before it can cross to North Road to continue the pursuit.
The tail lights from the sedan Aliff is driving can still be seen in the distance on the video as police wait.
THE CRASH
At 2:21:44 a.m., a second set of lights is seen from a distance, indicating another vehicle traveling south on North Road.
Then one set of tail lights is seen off to the left of the road, and the other set is on the highway.
The police pass through the green light, speed up to 60 mph and arrive at the crash site at 2:21:46 a.m., parking just behind the pickup truck that Aliff had tried to pass before crashing into a tree.
A voice says at 2:22:55 a.m. that two females in the wreckage are still breathing and that a rescue squad is needed.
The video clip ends as Tribal Police arrive at 2:23:20 a.m.
Copyright 2011 - The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
