GUILDERLAND — Police say a drunk driver tried to flee from them Tuesday afternoon, striking two other vehicles and crashing into a house, flipping his own vehicle over.

Shaun Menzer, 18, of 1224 Union St., Schenectady, was then arrested for driving while intoxicated; he and his passenger are still at Albany Medical Center being treated for injuries, police say.
Guilderland Police describe events this way: At 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Investigator David Romano saw a sports-utility vehicle driving "erratically and recklessly" in the Crossgates Mall parking lot.

Romano pulled the vehicle over and spoke with the driver, Menzer. Menzer appeared to be intoxicated, police say, and Romano observed that he had a 15-year-old passenger in the vehicle.

Romano returned to his car to check Menzer’s driver’s license when Menzer sped off, police say.

Romano immediately called for assistance, Lieutenant Curtis Cox told The Enterprise. As police in two cars were responding, driving east on Western Avenue, they saw Menzer speed past them in the opposite direction, Cox said.

The officers turned around to follow Menzer, he said, and, within 20 seconds, saw him crash at the intersection of Gipp Road.

Menzer struck a car that was pulling out from Gipp Road, police say. Menzer caused damage to the car, but the couple inside were not injured, Cox said.

Menzer then lost control of his vehicle, swerved off the road, and struck a parked pickup truck in a driveway at 1833 Western Ave., police say. He then struck a house, at 1835 Western Ave., and his vehicle flipped over, landing on its roof, police say.

Menzer and his passenger were taken to Albany Medical Center. A spokesperson for the hospital said Wednesday afternoon that Menzer is in serious condition. Information on the passenger was not available.

Members of the State Police, Guilderland Paramedics, Western Turnpike Rescue Squad, and Westmere and Guilderland fire departments assisted at the scene.

As the accident happened, the two police cars were far from the Gipp Road intersection, Cox said. It’s unclear if Menzer even knew the cars were following him, he said.

The Guilderland Police Department has a policy for when officers can initiate high-speed chases, Cox said. The officer’s supervisor determines if the policeman should get involved in a chase, Cox said.
The decision is based on the "totality of the circumstances," he said, including the time of day, road conditions, and the nature of the incident.

As Menzer sped away from Crossgates Mall, Investigator Romano simply followed him to determine what direction he was traveling, Cox said. Romano followed on Crossgates Mall Road, but did not activate his lights or sirens, Cox said.

After the accident, Menzer was charged with driving while intoxicated and reckless driving, both misdemeanors, and failure to comply with a lawful order of a police officer, an infraction. Additional charges are pending, police say.

Menzer is scheduled to appear in Guilderland Town Court on Sept. 1.