Ranger Rich Aldridge stopped an Audi sedan for speeding on River Road on December 21st. During the stop, Aldridge detected the scent of marijuana inside the car. While he was waiting for backup, the driver sped off, attaining speeds over 90 mph on this narrow, twisting road. The driver crashed about three miles down the road, and all three of the Audi’s occupants fled through the snow into the woods. Ranger Nate Bungard and two security officers from nearby Fernwood Resort provided backup. One of the trio was arrested shortly thereafter. Aldridge and Bungard then tracked the other two through the woods. Bungard found one of them walking along River Road and a Fernwood officer later found the other hiding in an abandoned truck. All three spent the Christmas holiday in the Pike County Correctional Center and were charged with numerous violations, including fleeing, possession of a controlled substance, giving false information, and traffic infractions. The driver had been arrested in the park six months earlier by Pennsylvania State Police troopers on drug and weapons violations and had received a year’s probation. He’s now serving the rest of that probation in jail. A second man was wanted by NYPD on drug charges and was extradited to the prison on Riker’s Island. [
