Two women face multiple drug and driving-related charges following a police pursuit in Ithaca Thursday evening that ended without injury.
According to New York State Police, the incident began around 6:30 p.m., when troopers with the Community Stabilization Unit attempted to stop a Honda Pilot on East State Street for traffic violations. The driver, however, refused to pull over and sped away, leading officers on a dangerous chase through several parts of Tompkins County.
Due to concerns over public safety and the driver’s reckless behavior, troopers decided to call off the pursuit.
A short time later, the abandoned vehicle was found on Haller Boulevard in Ithaca. Officers located two individuals nearby on Hook Place, and a subsequent investigation identified 38-year-old Kimberly Makinster of Ithaca as the driver and 43-year-old Bridget Kelley of Berkshire as the passenger.
Makinster now faces several charges, including criminal possession of a controlled substance and reckless endangerment, both felonies, along with reckless driving, unlawful fleeing from police and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors.
Kelley is also facing felony and misdemeanor charges related to drug possession and paraphernalia.
Both women were taken to the Tompkins County Jail for arraignment.
At the time of the incident, State Police were in Ithaca as part of a joint effort with local police through the state’s “Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE)” initiative — a program aimed at reducing gun-related crime in upstate communities.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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