Police ID Man Who Plunged Into Water At 67 Steps In High-Speed Chase

NORTH FORK, NY — Police have released new details about the man who, trying to evade police, crashed over the guardrail and into the Long Island Sound at 67 Steps Beach in Greenport Monday.

According to Southold Town police, Roger Foster, 56, of The Villages in Florida, was arrested and charged with second-degree criminal contempt; third-degree criminal mischief; numerous traffic law violations; unlawful fleeing; and two outstanding arrest warrants.

On Monday at 10:57 a.m, Southold Town police responded to a report involving Foster, who reportedly slashed the tire of a vehicle parked in the parking lot of the Southold Town Hall Annex, police said.

The caller provided a description and license plate number of the vehicle he was operating, police said. At about 11:37 a.m., a Southold Town police officer spotted the suspect vehicle traveling west on County Road 48 in Peconic; the officer initiated a traffic stop and Foster briefly stopped but then fled westbound on CR 48, police said.

Southold officers pursued Foster into Riverhead, police said.

According to Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley, Foster took off on what led to a 45-minute pursuit; he headed west to Riverhead, then made a U-turn and drove east on New York State Route 25 before heading back up to County Road 48 again, Flatley said. "He was on just about every road," he said.

At some points, the man was racing at about 100 miles an hour, Flatley said. Suffolk County Aviation had helicopters overhead relaying Foster's location to officers, police said.

Foster turned north onto Sound Road in Greenport, accelerating toward the road end and barricade, police said. Ignoring the road end, he continued at a high rate of speed, crashing through the wooden barrier and launching his vehicle airborne over the bluff, ultimately landing in the water, police said.

Officers rushed down the stairs to the vehicle, which was partially submerged, police said.

Officers broke the driver side window, opened the door, and extracted Foster, who remained conscious and alert, police said. He was placed under arrest and transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center to be treated for non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Rapid Recovery Towing responded with a heavy-duty tow truck and hoisted the vehicle up the bluff and onto the roadway; the vehicle was then impounded, police said. Once released from the hospital, Foster will be transported to Southold Town police headquarters, where he will be processed and held for arraignment, police said.