Joseph Fleischer, 50, of Walden is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after police said he failed to stop for officers twice during a pursuit that crossed the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge in both directions. The case involved New York State Police and Town of Newburgh police and ended with Fleischer's arrest on Pierces Road in the City of Newburgh.
Joseph Fleischer was taken into custody after troopers spotted a 2005 Toyota speeding eastbound on Interstate 84 in the Town of Montgomery on September 10, according to police, as reported by Daily Voice. When a trooper tried to pull the Toyota over, the driver allegedly refused to stop, kicking off a pursuit that continued from Montgomery into the City of Newburgh, where state police ended that first chase.
A subsequent pursuit took the Toyota across the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge into Fishkill and then back toward Newburgh, according to Times Union. Town of Newburgh officers later found the vehicle, police said, and the driver allegedly failed to stop again before Fleischer was arrested on Pierces Road.
State Police Were Involved in the Response
The response involved state troopers and Town of Newburgh police, with the reported route extending across Orange and Dutchess counties.
Other Hudson Valley pursuits documented by State Police
The New York State Police 2023 Annual Report describes a separate February 2023 pursuit in the town of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, that ended after troopers used a tire-deflation device to stop a vehicle connected to a child-abduction case. The report also recounts a March 2023 pursuit involving a stolen vehicle that traveled through Cortlandt and Peekskill before ending with a crash and the operator's surrender.
Fleischer was apprehended in the City of Newburgh on September 10, with incident entries logged in both Montgomery in Orange County and Fishkill in Dutchess County — a paper trail that traces the same back-and-forth route across the river described by police.
Reckless Endangerment, Fleeing and Bail-Jumping Charges
Fleischer was charged with four counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, a Class D felony under New York Penal Law Section 120.25 that carries a potential prison sentence of up to seven years upon conviction. He also faces four counts of third-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, a Class A misdemeanor under Section 270.25.
On top of the chase-related charges, Fleischer was charged with two counts of second-degree bail jumping, a Class E felony under Section 215.56. Police have not disclosed the circumstances behind those bail-jumping charges. He also faces multiple vehicle and traffic violations.
Fleischer was arraigned in Newburgh Town Court on September 11 and was remanded to Orange County Jail without bail. He is awaiting a future court appearance.
The Pursuit Crossed the Bridge
The Newburgh-Beacon Bridge was a key part of the pursuit, which crossed it in both directions.
Walden is where Fleischer lives.
