Car Ends Up in The Hudson, Driver Arrested for Fraud

You never know what kind of stories you're going to find on the Department of Environmental Conservation's website. Usually the focus on the wilderness, fishing, hunting and so on. Not this time.

According to a DEC press release, on May 5th environmental officer Kimberley Garnsley received a call for assistants by the Newburgh Police Department. They needed help with a women who allegedly drove her 2010 Volkswagen into the Hudson River...accidentally. When Officer Garnsley arrived at the scene the people that were involved were being questioned by police. The woman driving the car said that the Volkswagen started making noises and so she decided to pull over and leave the car in a parking area by the river. She then told police that she put the car in reverse, but the car rolled forward instead and she jumped out.

However, the woman's friend told a different story. Her story was more along the lines of her friend having every intention of driving her car into the river so that her car would be paid off by the car insurance company. The driver of the vehicle was arrested for insurance fraud and was given several tickets from ECO Garnsley including Disposing of Substance Injurious to Fish/Wildlife to the Waters of the State, Disposing of Noxious/Offensive Poisonous Substance in a Stream, Sewer, or any Public Waters, and Polluting Waters in Contravention of Standards.