Saratoga County man arrested after crash with police car

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Saratoga Springs Police Department (SSPD) reported the arrest of a Porters Corner man after a car crash on Sunday night. John Bidonde, 21, is facing numerous charges.

On January 5 around 8:30 p.m., an SSPD officer was diverting traffic from a crash near the intersection of Route 9N and Kirby Road in Saratoga Springs. Police stated that while the officer was sitting in his patrol car with all emergency lights engaged, a Toyota RAV4 collided with the police vehicle before reportedly fleeing the scene on Kirby Road.

Upon being alerted to the situation by the struck officer, SSPD located and engaged the RAV4 in a pursuit, resulting in a stop being conducted in a parking lot on Route 9N. The driver, identified as Bidonde, was taken into custody and now faces the following charges:

• Second-degree reckless endangerment
• Third-degree assault
• Unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle
• Aggravated driving while intoxicated - BAC .18% or more
• Driving while intoxicated
• Operating a motor vehicle with .08% BAC or higher
• Leaving the scene of a personal injury accident
• Reckless driving, an unclassified misdemeanor
• Failure to obey a traffic control device
• Drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on a highway

The involved officer was treated at Saratoga Hospital and released. He is expected to return to duty within the next several weeks. After being processed, Bidonde was released on appearance tickets for January 23 at the Saratoga Springs City Court.