Boater Arrested after 100MPH Chase on the Hudson

A boater led county marine units on a high-speed chase Sunday afternoon through the Tappan Zee construction zone on the Hudson River before he was eventually arrested, according to Westchester County Police.

The incident began at about 3:15 p.m. Sunday, when marine officers observed a yellow catamaran traveling south on the Hudson River at a high rate of speed at the Tappan Zee Bridge.

“Due to the bridge construction project that is under way, the U.S. Coast Guard has declared the area a Regulated Navigation Area,” said county police spokesperson Kieran O’Leary in a statement. “That designation, which has been widely publicized, requires recreational vessels to operate at low speed (5 knots).”

The marine unit activated its emergency lights and siren, but the yellow catamaran accelerated and refused to stop, reaching speeds of up to 100 mph, according to county police.

A second county police Marine Unit vessel was on patrol on the Hudson in Yonkers and intercepted the catamaran when it arrived in Yonkers. An NYPD Harbor Unit vessel had also come up the Hudson to assist if necessary, O’Leary said.

The operator of the catamaran, identified as 48-year-old Marcus Lomghitano of Highland Mills, NY, was taken into custody and charged with (under navigation law) Reckless Operation, Failure to Obey a Police Officer and Operating an Unregistered Vessel.

He was released pending a Sept. 25 appearance in Greenburgh Town Court.

Photo: Marcus Lomghitano. Photo credit: Westchester County Police