A 20-mile chase through the heart of Columbia County ended Tuesday afternoon when a Florida woman allegedly slammed her Volkswagen into a New York State Police cruiser near Livingston, according to state police. Angelina Lopez, 50, of Lake Wales, Florida, was taken into custody at the scene and now faces a stack of felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from the pursuit.
According to New York State Police, troopers out of SP Chatham first tried to stop Lopez's 2024 Volkswagen on State Route 9H in Kinderhook at about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, September 29, for a vehicle and traffic law infraction. Instead of pulling over, Lopez reportedly took off, kicking off a pursuit that would stretch across a large swath of the rural Hudson Valley county.
The chase covered roughly 20 miles, running south along State Route 9H before finally ending at the intersection of U.S. Route 9 and County Route 19 in Livingston, per Daily Voice. That stretch of road connects the northern part of the county through open farmland down toward Livingston, a route that state police and troopers regularly patrol.
Cruiser Collision Brings Pursuit to a Halt
Lopez briefly stopped during the pursuit once she reached Livingston, but then allegedly tried to flee again, this time colliding with an NYSP patrol car, according to NEWS10 ABC. That collision brought the chase to its end, and troopers took her into custody at the scene.
The station's report lists a lengthy set of charges against Lopez, including second-degree criminal mischief, third-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, operating a motor vehicle while ability impaired by drugs, reckless driving, and several additional vehicle and traffic law violations.
What the Charges Actually Mean
The most serious charge, second-degree criminal mischief, is a Class D felony under New York Penal Law § 145.10 that applies when someone intentionally causes property damage exceeding $1,500, according to FindLaw. A conviction on that charge alone could carry up to seven years in state prison. Prosecutors would need to establish that the damage to the patrol car crossed that dollar threshold to sustain the felony count.
The unlawfully fleeing charge, a Class A misdemeanor under Penal Law § 270.25, requires proof that a driver knowingly evaded a uniformed officer or marked police vehicle while speeding more than 25 mph over the limit or driving recklessly, per Tilem & Associates. That same firm notes the two reckless endangerment counts stem from Penal Law § 120.20, which criminalizes recklessly creating a substantial risk of serious injury to others — in this case reflecting separate risks posed to troopers and other motorists during the chase.
Lopez is also facing a charge of operating a motor vehicle while ability impaired by drugs, an unclassified misdemeanor under Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1192(4) that carries fines up to $1,000, up to a year in jail, and a mandatory license revocation of at least six months on a first conviction, according to Tilem & Associates.
Lopez Released on Appearance Tickets
Lopez was released on appearance tickets.
Lopez is slated to appear in Livingston Town Court for further proceedings at a later date, per NEWS10 ABC.
The Pursuit Through Columbia County
Columbia County is in the Hudson Valley. The pursuit ran along State Route 9H and ended at the intersection of U.S. Route 9 and County Route 19 in Livingston.
