COLONIE – Police have found the car that was involved in a deadly hit and run that killed an Army National Guardsman last weekend.
The vehicle from the crash, which was a 2016 Mazda CX-5, said police, was found on private property in Melrose, Rensselaer County.
Police were able to track down the car through examination of video surveillance from nearby businesses. Once police spotted a car that seemed to have been traveling to the crash site and were able to run identification on the vehicle, they connected the car to the owner, according to Lt. Ken Pero of the Colonie Police Department. They then started checking properties to find the car, he said, and once police discovered that a relative of the car’s owner had a large piece of property in Melrose, they eventually located the vehicle that allegedly killed 57-year-old Rudolph Seabron of Rome. They have since interviewed the registered owner of the car.
Police said that the car has significant front-end damage, and that it is currently being examined by the NYSP Forensic team at Troop G, in Latham.
Seabron, a father of three, was a member of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade headquartered at the New York State Armory in Latham and was in town for a weekend drill.
Seabron joined the Army National Guard in 1996 after serving in the Marines Corps. He served in Iraq in 2004, Afghanistan in 2008 and in Kuwait in 2012.
Police received a call at about 4:40 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 8 from a motorist believing he had struck a person lying in the road under the I-87 overpass.
Seabron was struck by another vehicle prior to the driver who called police. Car parts at the scene indicated the first car was a newer model Mazda.
Police believe Seabron left Philly’s Bar and Grill at 622 Watervliet-Shaker Road at approximately 3:15 a.m. and was walking westbound on Watervliet-Shaker Road when he was struck.
The second motorist, who is not being identified, was interviewed and police say there is no indication of alcohol or drug use and do not believe speed played a factor. However, Pero said nothing is off the table regarding the first motorist.
Anyone who may have seen anything or has any other information regarding the incident is urged to contact Colonie Traffic Safety Division at 783-2744. Pero is expecting an arrest to be made in the near future.
