An allegedly drunk Medford woman was arraigned Sunday on felony charges after she reportedly led police on a pursuit Friday night and crashed into a stop sign and two cars, including a police patrol vehicle, Suffolk County police said.
Pendoria Jackson, 45, of Medford was held on $25,000 bail after her arraignment at First District Court on charges of felony driving while intoxicated, third-degree unlawful fleeing of a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving and reckless endangerment.
Police said the incident started on Friday around 9:30 p.m., when Fifth Precinct officer Jamie Bustamante received a call of an erratic driver heading south on Sills Road in Medford. The officer spotted the vehicle, a Ford SUV, and signaled the driver to pull over at the intersection of Horseblock Road and Sills Road. When the officer approached the car, Jackson refused to lower her window and as Bustamante attempted to open the door, she drove off, cops said.
A short pursuit in the area then ensued, but officers were soon instructed to turn off their lights and sirens and to follow at a safe distance. Police helicopters were then called in to assist.
Police said they tracked the car to Bellport, where Jackson allegedly hit a stop sign at Woodside Ave. and County Road 101, before she rammed into a Fifth Precinct police patrol vehicle. The crash didn’t stop Jackson – cops said she continued to flee, narrowly missing two officers on foot and continued westbound on Woodside Ave., according to a news release. She then crashed again, this time at the intersection of Woodside Ave. and Harlem Avenue, where cops say she hit a Jeep Cherokee that was stopped at a red light.
Two Sixth Precinct officers were injured while attempting to break the window of Jackson’s vehicle, cops said. They were treated for minor injuries and released from an area hospital. The driver of the Jeep and Jackson were taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Center in East Patchogue and treated for minor injuries.
Jackson was brought to First District Court in Central Islip on Saturday for arraignment, but was reportedly taken from the court to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore for an undisclosed medical issue. She was released from the hospital and arraigned Sunday. Jackson remains in custody at the Suffolk County Jail in Riverhead in lieu of $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond. She could not be reached for comment.
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