Pickup driver accused of hitting motorcycle, fighting police
By ANDY BATES
Enterprise Staff Writer
SARANAC LAKE - A Saranac Lake man spent the weekend in the Franklin County Jail after fleeing from and fighting with village police Saturday.
Village police arrested David C. Callaghan, 44, at 2:32 p.m. Saturday and charged him with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, failure to comply with a police order, failure to keep right, failure to signal a turn, disobeying a stop sign, failure to produce a license, two counts of operating with inadequate tires, operating with a broken windshield and operating with no left side mirror.
According to Sgt. William Cody of the Saranac Lake Police Department, village patrols were alerted to Callaghan's presence by state police, who were en route to a collision in Lake Clear involving Callaghan's pickup truck and a motorcycle.
State police said Callaghan's truck collided with a motorcycle on state Route 186. The motorcycle was operated by Mark and Janet Simkins, both 48, of Saranac Lake.
Callaghan faces four additional charges from state police of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an automobile accident, failure to keep right and failure to stop.
Mark Simkins was brought to Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake to be treated for leg injuries, and Janet Simkins was treated for multiple scrapes and bruises. Both were released later that day.
Cody suggested that the damage to the truck's windshield and mirror may have been caused by the collision with the motorcycle.
According to village police, patrols observed Callaghan's truck on Broadway operating on rims only on the driver's side and noted that he was bleeding from the face.
After police attempted to pull Callaghan over, a few-minute chase ensued on five different streets until patrols were able to corner him on Morris Way.
Cody said that once Callaghan stopped, he got out of the vehicle and began to approach a residence. After he failed to comply with police orders to stop, two officers went after him.
"They did have to use force to take him in because he was combative," Cody said.
Callaghan was taken to AMC and treated for minor facial injuries. He was then arraigned in village court and remanded to Franklin County Jail in lieu of $2,000 bail or $5,000 bond.
Cody said no police officers reported any injuries as a result of the altercation.
