A routine call about an erratic driver on Route 7 in Pittstown ended with a 20-year-old Vermont man behind bars, facing weapons and impaired-driving charges after troopers say they pulled a loaded handgun from his car. Isaiha Hart of Bennington was taken into custody at the scene on October 16 and has since been remanded to the Rensselaer County Correctional Facility without bail.
According to CBS6 Albany, troopers with the State Police of Brunswick responded to a report of an erratic vehicle at about 7:39 a.m. that Friday, though Daily Voice reported troopers received the complaint around 7:30 a.m. the same morning. Both outlets agree on what happened next: the vehicle Hart was driving reportedly crossed into the opposing lane and struck a camper that another vehicle was hauling.
State police identified Hart as the driver, and troopers said they found and seized an illegally possessed loaded handgun from his vehicle. The station's report did not detail the weapon further, though the same account from Daily Voice described it as carrying a high-capacity magazine.
Driver Grew Uncooperative, Police Say
Hart was arrested at the crash scene and taken to State Police Brunswick for processing, per the earlier CBS6 account. Police said he became uncooperative during the investigation and sobriety testing that followed.
He was evaluated by a Drug Recognition Expert as part of that process, and police said Hart refused to provide a blood sample that would have determined the drug content in his system.
Charges Filed, Arraignment in Brunswick
Hart was arraigned in Brunswick Town Court, where he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. He also faces a charge of obstructing governmental administration in the second degree, along with driving while impaired by drugs and other vehicle and traffic law violations.
New York's penal law lays out criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree as applying, in part, to someone who possesses a loaded firearm with intent to use it unlawfully against another person, according to the New York State Senate's published statute. The excerpt available does not spell out every element or potential penalty tied to the charge.
Following his arraignment, Hart was remanded to the Rensselaer County Correctional Facility without bail. No additional details on his attorney, plea, or next court date were available.
