Two men arrested for causing serious Route 9 crash. July crash near Boght Road caused by two men allegedly racing
COHOES – A fiery crash caused by two men allegedly racing on Route 9 near Boght Road last summer led Colonie Police to charge two men on Wednesday, Jan. 17 and serious injuries.
According to reports, on Saturday Morning, July 8, Thomas Murray, 32, of Cohoes and Walid Nehma, 40, of Clifton Park, were traveling north on Route 9 at a high rate of speed, above 55 miles per hour. Murray in a BMW and Nehma in a Dodge Durango.
According to police, the BMW and Durango were weaving in and out of traffic as they passed Boght Road.
An unrelated car pulled out from a janitorial business and the driver did see the vehicles coming at a high rate of speed, according to Colonie police Lt. Robert Donnally.
The Durango left the roadway and into a ditch near Bruce Fence while the BMW crossed into the Southbound lane and collided head on into a Jeep near Old Loudon Road. The vehicle flipped over and caught fire, Donnally said.
“It was a very intense scene,” he said.
Two passerbys stopped and pulled a woman driver from the Jeep as it was burning. Murray also sustained a head injury in the crash.
Murray and Nehma were charged with felony assault and reckless endangerment, both felonies, and reckless driving and illegal speed contest, both misdemeanors, and ticketed for speeding.
Both were processed and then arraigned by Colonie Judge Norman Massry.
Warrant
COLONIE – Jessie Terrell, 47, of Albany was brought from the Albany County jail on Wednesday, Jan. 17 on an outstanding bench warrant for not showing up for court in October 2022. He was arraigned by Judge Norman Massry.
Warrant
COLONIE – Tarelle Rowell, 30, of Schenectady was transported to meet Colonie police on Thursday, Jan. 18 because he had an outstanding warrant for not showing up for court in August. Rowell was given an appearance ticket for January 29 and released.
Light out and DWI on Wolf Road
COLONIE – Colonie police observed a vehicle traveling north on Wolf Road with one headlight out on Friday, Jan. 19 at 2:01 a.m. and performed a traffic stop.
Upon interviewing the driver, a 25-year-old Troy man, officers observed signs of impairment and the man admitted he had been drinking alcohol.
He was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device. The man was taken into custody.
He was charged with DWI and ticketed for inadequate lights. The man was released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on January 29.
Crash and DWI at Hannaford
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a personal injury vehicle accident in the parking lot of Hannaford on Wolf Road on Friday, Jan. 19 at 2:16 p.m. and found a vehicle had struck multiple parked cars.
According to reports, the driver, a 68-year-old woman from Colonie, officers observed the woman to have watery eyes, slurred speech and had an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her breath. She was unable to perform field sobriety tests due to injuries sustained in the crash and was transported to Albany Memorial Hospital for treatment.
At the hospital, the woman consented to a blood draw for alcohol. She was charged with DWI and ticketed for speeding and given an appearance ticket at the hospital for Colonie Town Court on January 29.
DWI on the Northway
LATHAM – On Saturday, Jan. 20 at approximately 6:58 p.m. a vehicle ran a red light and entered the Northway at exit 7 northbound. Colonie police stopped the vehicle and while interviewing the driver, a 22-year-old Colonie man, observed signs of impairment. The man also admitted to drinking alcohol. He was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device. The man was taken into custody for DWI.
He was charged with DWI and ticketed for the red light violation and given an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on January 29.
Avoiding an intersection and DWI on New Shaker Road
COLONIE – A 55-year-old Colonie man was observed speeding and avoiding a traffic light on New Shaker Road on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 4:25 p.m. During the traffic stop Colonie officers observed the man to an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. He was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device and taken into custody.
The man was charged with DWI and ticketed for speeding and avoiding an intersection.
He was released on an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on February 5.
Three warrants
COLONIE – A 21-year-old Schenectady woman turned herself in to Colonie police on Monday, Jan. 22 on three warrants for not showing up for Colonie Town Court.
She was charged with failing to appear – E felony, a felony, and failing to appear – A misdemeanor, a misdemeanor, and failing to appear on an appearance ticket, a bench warrant.
She was released with an appearance ticket for later that day.
Fake name, warrant and drugs
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to the Northway Mall for a check-a-person call on Monday, Jan. 22 and found a man was wanted for not showing up for court.
According to reports, Jacob Sharpe, 35, who is homeless, gave police a fake name and through a check, police found he was wanted for not showing up for court. He was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and false personation, both misdemeanors.
Sharpe was arrested on November 7 by Colonie police at Macy’s at Colonie Center and charged him with robbery, a felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, petit larceny and possession of burglary tools, all misdemeanors. He was arraigned at that time.
This time, he was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green and sent to the Albany County jail.
Warrant and not first time
COLONIE – A 46-year-old Philmont man was brought from the Rensselaer County jail on Monday, Jan. 22 for not showing up for court in August, but that appearance was for not showing up in April.
Jeremy Shook, who’s prior address was Hillsdale, was transported to Colonie by Columbia County Sheriff’s Deputies on Wednesday, July 12 to face charges for not showing up for court.
At that time, he was charged with bail jumping, a felony, and bench warrant for not appearing on April 26. He was processed on the charge, given an appearance ticket and transported to the hospital for treatment of an infection. He was due back in Colonie Town Court on Wednesday, July 19, but did not appear for a date after that.
This time he was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green.
Grand larceny at Target
COLONIE – On Monday, Jan. 22, Casey Francis, 41, was brought over to Colonie police by officers from Rensselaer County to face larceny charges stemming from two separate incidents at Target on Central Avenue in September.
She was charged with grand larceny, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor, and arraigned in Colonie Town Court.
Warrant
COLONIE – Juliusron Robles, 24, of Albany was brought over from the Albany County jail on Monday, Jan. 22 to face charges he did not show up to court in October.
He was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green.
Larceny and warrant
COLONIE – A 48-year-old homeless man was brought over from the Rensselaer County jail on Monday, Jan. 22 to face charges and an outstanding warrant.
Julio Vasquez was charged with petit larceny for an incident a the Colonie Plaza on Central Avenue on November 25 and also charged with not showing up to Colonie Town Court in September for a separate incident.
Vasquez was arraigned.
This story was featured on page 12 of the February, 7 2024 edition of the Colonie Spotlight.