Police: Drunk Driver Tried to Hit Troop Car During I-81 Chase

Authorities say a man intentionally veered a pickup truck toward a police car during a high-speed pursuit on Interstate 81 in upstate New York.

The incident started around 6:40 p.m. Thursday when a state trooper tried to stop a Dodge Ram truck in Oswego County after the vehicle was seen being operated in a reckless manner.

According to a New York State Police news release, the northbound vehicle left the roadway, entered the median, and reentered traffic. The truck was said to have swerved across multiple lanes at speeds above 100 miles per hour.

As the vehicle was being pursued by a state trooper, it moved toward a marked troop vehicle, narrowly missing it before continuing

The truck then struck a traffic sign and wound up with a flat tire. The pursued vehicle continued on three wheels before eventually coming to a stop on the shoulder of the highway.

Authorities said several bean bag rounds were fired through the windshield when the driver refused to leave the vehicle. A Taser device was used, and the driver was "forcibly removed" from the truck.

Police said the driver was 52-year-old Michael Langstaff of Ogdensburg. He was charged with felony counts of reckless endangerment and menacing a police officer. He was also charged with DWI, reckless driving, and unlawful fleeing a police officer in a vehicle.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.