Hempstead driver rams vehicle, parks police car during chase, cops say

A Hempstead man repeatedly rammed another vehicle with his pickup truck and then backed into a police vehicle before leading pursuing officers on a chase Wednesday night, New York State Police said.

Armondo Carcamo-Rivera, 41, was behind the wheel of a Toyota Tundra shortly after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday when witnesses saw him intentionally driving the pickup into an Audi on the southbound side of the Meadowbrook State Parkway, near the M8 in Hempstead, police said Thursday in a statement.

Responding state troopers along with officers with the New York State Parks Police saw the Tundra hook onto the bumper of the Audi, then separate. But Carcamo-Rivera was undeterred and again drove back into the Audi, officials said.

“After separating his bumper from the Audi …  [he] quickly returned to the Audi, struck it again, and pushed it, with State Police and Parks Police still pursuing him. During the pursuit, the Tundra stopped and backed into a Parks Police vehicle and fled again,” police said.

Officers followed the Tundra into Suffolk County where it became disabled on Howells Road in Bay Shore, police said. Carcamo-Rivera was then arrested, officials said.

There were no injuries, police said.

Carcama-Rivera is charged with: second-degree criminal mischief, second-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree fleeing from officers, driving while impaired by drugs, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident, officials said.

Carcamo-Rivera was arraigned Thursday in First District Court in Hempstead. Court records show a temporary order of protection was issued against him. His bail was set at $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash. He had not posted bail as of Thursday night, records said.