Suspected Intoxicated Driver Steals N.Y. State Police Cruiser after Arrest

Sept. 30, 2024
A 37-year-old man was apprehended in a cemetery after slipping handcuffs to the front and stealing a New York State Police cruiser following a DUI arrest at a crash scene near Babylon.

A man arrested for driving under the influence is accused of stealing a New York State police cruiser following a crash before he was apprehended in a cemetery last week.

The incident happened at about 5:30 a.m. Friday when New York State police responded to a crash on the Southern State Parkway near Babylon, the agency stated in a news release. The 37-year-old driver—identified as John Gibson—failed a roadside sobriety test, and he was arrested, handcuffed and put in the back of a cruiser.

As troopers continued their investigation, Gibson slipped his handcuffs to the front, climbed into the front seat and drove off.

A search for Gibson found the cruiser about 3 miles away from the scene of the initial crash. Gibson was discovered in a nearby cemetery and arrested.

 

 

While officers weren't looking, the man “managed to slip his handcuffs to the front, freed himself from the seat belt, climbed into the front seat of the patrol vehicle and drove off from the scene,” according to a statement issued by state police.

The car was later found about 3 miles (4.8 km) away, police said, while the man was located in a nearby cemetery.

He pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that included grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, unauthorized use of a vehicle and driving while intoxicated and other charges.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.

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