HV Men Lead Troopers On Chase, Crash On Route 17 At I-87: NYSP

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Two Westchester men fleeing from police caused a crash Friday on the entrance ramp from Route 17 to the New York State Thruway at lunchtime Friday.

The chase started in Sullivan County, when state police in Wurtsboro received a complaint at 11:59 a.m. about a gray convertible driving slowly and erratically on Route 209 in Mamakating. A trooper located the car, a southbound 2011 Mercedes Benz, and watched it swerve into and out of oncoming traffic, police said.

The trooper stopped the car and got the identity of the two occupants: driver Martin Gjurashaj, 45, from Yonkers, and passenger Daniel Curanovic, 27, of Tuckahoe.

Suddenly Gjurashaj put the car in gear and sped off, police said.

By the time it headed east on Route 17 it was traveling at a high rate of speed. It struck a marked State Police car in Monroe and continued down 17, police said.

The pursuit continued too, and only ended at the entrance ramp onto northbound I-87 when the Mercedes struck a vehicle being operated by an innocent bystander, police said.

Gjurashaj and Curanovic were both arrested and transported to Garnet Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries.

Gjurashi was charged with:

• DWAI Drugs
• Reckless Endangerment 1st degree
• Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle
• Obstruction of Governmental Administration
• Criminal Mischief

He was remanded to Sullivan County Jail.

Curanovic was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance degree and given a ticket to appear in court at a future date, police said.