Troopers say: Man with narcotics crashed fatally after police pursuit ended

Friday, February 3, 2023 - 16:51

KNOX — On Wednesday, a Cohoes man crashed in Knox, and later died of severe injuries, after a brief police chase elsewhere had ended.
Jason S. Benn, 49, was pronounced dead at Albany Medical Center.

State Police, in a press release on Thursday, said event unfolded this way:

New Scotland State Police saw a vehicle driving erratically at about 1:35 a.m. on Washington Avenue Extension in Albany; the vehicle matched the description of a suspect vehicle pursued earlier in Colonie so troopers tried to stop the vehicle but Benn did not comply, and a chase ensued.

“During the pursuit, Benn struck multiple parked vehicles,” the release said, “and at 1:44 a.m. the pursuit was terminated due to public safety concerns.”

Soon after the chase ended, troopers found Benn and the crashed vehicle in the area of the Knox-Gallupville Road.

“The preliminary investigation has determined  Benn did not have permission to operate the vehicle and was in possession of narcotics,” the release said. The investigation is ongoing.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer

More Hilltowns News

  • Rensselaerville puzzles over how to publicize Kuhar Endowment Fund

    The Rensselaerville Town Board recently cleared out all the red tape blocking the Kuhar Endowment Fund from being administered to local not-for-profits, but the delays and a lack of adequate publicity resulted in at least one organization not knowing it had to apply again. 

  • For many, rural broadband hopes broken up by bureaucracy

    Better and more affordable broadband options are needed in each of the four Hilltowns and, while some governments there have made giant steps toward getting them, the process is long and difficult, even in the best-case scenarios. 

The Altamont Enterprise is focused on hyper-local, high-quality journalism. We produce free election guides, curate readers' opinion pieces, and engage with important local issues. Subscriptions open full access to our work and make it possible.