General News: Motorcyclist Speeds through Cornwall
October 16, 2013
from the Town of Cornwall Police
On October 14, 2013 at approximately 11:50 am a Town of Cornwall Police Officer observed a motorcycle (2002 Honda) traveling 85 mph on Route 9W Southbound. The officer caught up to the motorcyclist, activated his emergency lights and siren and the motorcyclist then accellerated at a high speed. The motorcyclist then turned on to Firefighters Memorial Drive in the Town of Highland and nearly struck several vehicles. The motorcyclist then went back onto Route 9W Northbound. The motorcyclist then exited Route 9w at Continental Road in the Town of Cornwall and traveled thru the Chadayne traffic circle onto Quaker Avenue. At the intersection of Quaker Avenue and Route 32 the motorcyclist went around several stopped cars; struck a mirror of a car stopped in traffic and sideswiped the front of a police car. The motorcyclist continued on Rt. 32 Northbound at a high rate of speed in the Town of New Windsor where he lost control of his motorcycle at the intersection known as the five corners and hit a curb. The motorcyclist then attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended by officers from the Town of Cornwall and the Town of New Windsor.
The motorcyclist; Nicholas DePalma, age 20 of Newburgh was charged with unlawfully fleeing police officer in a motor vehicle, a class A misdemeanor, Reckless Driving; a class A misdemeanor, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the second degree; a class A misdemeanor, and nineteen (19) vehicle and traffic law violations. He was arraigned before Town Justice Navarra and remanded to the Orange County Jail in lieu of $1500 bail.
