Fleeing Man Drives to his Death in the Hudson River

MID HUDSON VALLEY, NY — A man who assaulted a state trooper on Friday started a chase that ended when he drowned after driving off a boat ramp into the Hudson River.

Police said Jeffrey Dean did get out of the car and try to swim to shore. The trooper and members of the Coxsackie Police Department attempted to get him out of the water, but were unsuccessful.

It started when the trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop at the intersection of routes 9W and 81 in the town of Coxsackie. Dean assaulted the trooper and fled, police said.

The trooper pursued him into the village, east on Mansion Street, and into Riverside Park.

"Dean then intentionally drove his vehicle down the boat launch ramp and into the Hudson River," police said. "There was no contact between the marked police unit and Dean's vehicle."

After police tried and failed to get him out of the water, Water Rescue Units from the State Police, Greene County Sheriff's Office, and the Ulster County Sheriff's Office conducted a search and ultimately located Dean, dead, in the river.

Dean's body was removed from the water and turned over to the Greene County Coroner pending autopsy.

Dean, 48, was a town of Coxsackie resident. The investigation remains ongoing and any persons with information regarding the incident are asked to contact SP Catskill at (518) 622-8600.