Inside the data on Syracuse Police crashes
The data behind this story was first collected through Freedom of Information Law requests for police discipline records in New York. We analyzed data that included every instance of Syracuse Police Department officer discipline related to a car crash between 2013 and 2022, as well as every time a Syracuse Police vehicle needed repairs after a crash, and how much those repairs cost. Less than half of the crashes that required repairs led to any discipline for the officers involved. Here are the 20 most expensive crashes involving officers in the time span, costing taxpayers more than $360,000.
1. May 28, 2022
Officer: Milton Sustache
Location: Butternut St. intersecting Lodi St.
Summary: Officer was involved in a preventable accident when he ran a red light and collided with a civilian vehicle.
Repair cost: $30,415.32
Discipline: Loss of seven furlough days
2. January 2, 2021
Officer: Louis Budson
Location: 1600 block of
E. Genesee St., westbound 75 feet east of Maple St.
Summary: Officer was driving at unsafe speeds for the road conditions. He lost control of the vehicle and hit two utility poles and a fire hydrant.
Repair cost: $28,205.55
Discipline: Loss of five furlough days
3. May 26, 2022
Officer: Evan Fransisco
Location: Bear St. West intersecting ramp
Summary: While on duty officer ran a red light and entered into a crash with a civilian vehicle.
Repair cost: $27,950.00
Discipline: Loss of four furlough days
4. October 7, 2017
Officer: Sarah Hassett
Location: Intersection of W. Fayette St. and South West St.
Summary: Caused a vehicle collision passing through a red light and hit a large truck.
Repair cost: $24,146.50
Discipline: Loss of seven furlough days
5. January 26, 2021
Officer: Marcus Debottis
Location: 2100 James St. intersecting Paul Ave.
Summary: Officer attempted to pass a vehicle that would not yield and skidded across the road due to unsafe road conditions colliding with a utility pole and another vehicle. The force of this collision caused vehicle 2 to hit the vehcile behind it.
Repair cost: $24,115.76
Discipline: Loss of seven furlough days
6. November 27, 2020
Officer: Wesley Alberts
Location: Intersection of W. Fayette St. and West St.
Summary: Officer failed to clear an intersection at a red light and was struck by an oncoming civilian vehicle. After being struck the patrol vehicle slid and collided with a fire hydrant and a light pole.
Repair cost: $22,217.49
Discipline: Loss of seven furlough days
7. January 6, 2019
Officer: Brendan Grooms
Location: I-690, 373 feet west of I-81
Intersection
Summary: Officer crashed into a concrete barrier and guide rail after losing control over an icy road and travelling at unsafe speeding leading to a preventable accident.
Repair cost: $18,211.25 Discipline: Loss of vacation days
8. April 5, 2021
Officer: Taylor Knight
Location: East Fayette St. intersecting Irving Ave.
Summary: Officer failed to clear a red light at an intersection and struck an oncoming civilian vehicle.
Repair cost: $18,098.78
Discipline: Loss of seven furlough days
9. November 14, 2021
Officer: Makenzie Glynn
Location: James St. intersecting Lodi St.
Summary: Officer ran a red light and collided with a civilian vehicle
Repair cost: $17,816.29
Discipline: Loss of seven furlough days
10. May 9, 2019
Officer: Nicklaus Hilts
Location: Intersection of South Salina Street and East Castle Street
Summary: On-duty officer involved in a preventable crash when he
disregarding a red light signal
and collided with a vehicle in the
intersection
Repair cost: $17,559.21 Discipline: Loss of seven furlough days
11. December 17, 2020
Officer: William Coleman
Location: 1100 Erie Blvd. E.
Summary: Officer was driving at unsafe speeds for the road conditions. He lost control of the
vehicle and hit two parked vehicles
Repair cost: $16,947.92
Discipline: Loss of seven furlough
days
12. August 30, 2020
Officer: Christopher Hallenbeck
Location: Intersection of Butternut
and Lodi
Summary: Officer failed to clear an intersection at a red light and struck an oncoming civilian vehicle.
Repair cost: $16757.60
Discipline: Loss of seven furlough
days
13. July 27, 2021
Officer: Nicholas Voggel
Location: Bellevue St. intersecting Coolidge Ave.
Summary: Officer ran a stop sign failing to yield the right of way and colliding with an oncoming vehicle. The force of the collisison caused a parked vehicle to also be struck. All three vehicles sutained heavy
damage.
Repair cost: $15,787.03 Discipline: Loss of seven furlough
days
14. August 25, 2020
Officer: Nicklaus Hilts
Location: Intersection of Harrison St. and S. Townsend Street
Summary: Officer involved in a preventable crash when he utilized improper lane change during a left turn.
Repair cost: $14,890.20
Discipline: Loss of vacation days
15. June 10, 2020
Officer: Rachel Phillips
Location: Intersection of Erie Blvd. W. and N. Geddes St.
Summary: Officer made an unsafe lane change and struck another vehicle.
Repair cost: $13,719.40
Discipline: Loss of seven furlough days
16. January 28, 2021
Officer: Kayla Hatt
Location: W. Genesee St. intersecting N. Geddes St.
Summary: Officer failed to clear a red light at an intersection and struck an oncoming civilian vehicle.
Repair cost: $13,099.11
Discipline: Loss of seven furlough days
17. December 17, 2020
Officer: Grant Prudhomme
Location: 941 N. Salina St.
Summary: Officer was traveling at unsafe speeds for the road conditions and lost control and struck a parked vehicle.
Repair cost: $12,826.20
Discipline: Loss of six furlough days
18. February 21, 2020
Officer: Joseph Hililker
Location: Intersection of N. Salina St. and E. Willow St.
Summary: Officer did not see his way clear through an intersection against the flow of traffic and struck a vehicle and a light pole.
Repair cost: $11,782.21
Discipline: Unknown
19. March 28, 2021
Officer: Jason Ladd
Location: W. Genesee St. intersecting N. Geddes St.
Summary: Officer was travelling at unsafe speeds and drove over an embankment striking another vehicle. Repair cost: $11,524.95
Discipline: Loss of four furlough days
20. June 12, 2018
Officer: Chelsea Townsend
Location: Intersection of Midland and Kirk Avenue
Summary: Officer ran a stop sign and hit another vehicle in the intersection totaling the vehicle.
Repair cost: $10,953.70
Discipline: Loss of four furlough days