Yonkers man crashes into multiple Spring Valley police cars during failed attempt to evade arrest

During the evening hours of August 28, a Spring Valley Police Officer while en route to an unrelated call for service, observed a vehicle completely stopped in the westbound lane of Rt. 59 just west of the New Clarkstown Rd. intersection, with no vehicles in front of it. The officer quickly discovered that the operator, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, appeared to be unresponsive behind the wheel with the vehicle still in drive. 

After parking his patrol car in front of the other car to protect the driver and the public the officer called for backup and then attempted to get into the car to render aid to the driver. When officers were unable to rouse the driver or get into the car due to the locked doors, they attempted to break a window in order to gain entry. At this point the driver woke up and attempted to evade the police and fled westbound on Route 59.

 The driver intentionally crashed his car into unoccupied cars and stopped police cars and multiple other occupied vehicles of people travelling on the roadway in his attempt to get away.

The vehicle then became disabled, a few hundred yards down the road, from all the accidents and was penned in by police cars, at which point the operator was removed from the vehicle and taken into custody. The suspect, two police officers, and several people from vehicles which were struck were taken to local hospitals with minor non-life-threatening injuries.

The subject, Nelson Torres, 54 of Yonkers was taken to Nyack Hospital for medical and psychological evaluation where he remained as of Thursday afternoon. He was charged with Reckless Endangerment in the 1st Degree, and Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle, 3rd degree, reckless driving, Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident 1st offense, driving while ability impaired, driving while ability impaired by drugs, and numerous other vehicle and traffic offenses.