MASSENA -- A Massena man is facing nearly 20 charges, including a felony, for nearly striking several police vehicles while driving his snowmobile drunk on Thursday night, according to village …
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MASSENA -- A Massena man is facing nearly 20 charges, including a felony, for nearly striking several police vehicles while driving his snowmobile drunk on Thursday night, according to village police.
Todd J. Beamis, 39, of 140 Liberty Ave. Apt. 5 is charged with felony driving while intoxicated, two misdemeanor counts of reckless driving: snowmobile, unlawful possession of marijuana, two counts of unregistered snowmobile, illegal registration on snowmobile, two counts of operating a snowmobile on a controlled access highway, three counts of failure to stop for an emergency vehicle, operating a snowmobile on a roadway, two counts of no insurance: snowmobile, imprudent speed, failure to cross highway at a 90-degree angle and two counts of illegal numbers on a snowmobile. Police said the DWI is elevated to a felony because he has been convicted of DWI within the last 10 years.
Sgt. Adam Love said patrols initially encountered Beamis responding to a call at 10:06 p.m. on Liberty Avenue. Love said officers tried to pull him over, and he turned around and drove at the patrol car, barely missing it.
He then disappeared toward the train tracks at Jefferson Hill.
Love said he joined patrols looking for Beamis and found him in the same area about an hour later. He said he turned on his lights and Beamis charged at him.
“He just missed the patrol car,” Love said.
He said he then pursued him throughout the neighborhood, through Ames, Cooper and Belmont streets.
“He was flying down Liberty,” Love said. “He kept playing games.”
At this point, police were sitting and waiting for him on Pontoon Bridge Road, county Route 42 and Liberty Avenue.
Love said Beamis was caught after running out of gas. He said officers found him on Jefferson Avenue on foot and took him into custody. They later found the broke-down snowmobile about a quarter mile up a trail on Pontoon Bridge Road.
Beamis is being held awaiting arraignment in Massena Village Court.