Cairo man facing multiple felonies after Taconic Parkway pursuit
Published on:
February 12, 2026
State Police say Stephen M. Preston intentionally struck five police vehicles, injuring three troopers.
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PLEASANT VALLEY―A Cairo man is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly struck five police vehicles during a pursuit, injuring three state troopers.
Stephen M. Preston, 36, is charged with five counts of second-degree criminal mischief, three counts of second-degree assault and three counts of second-degree attempted assault, all felonies; third-degree unlawful fleeing a police officer and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors; and felony driving while intoxicated.
According to State Police, at around 3:05 p.m. on Wednesday, February 11, a trooper attempted to stop a 2010 Ford pickup truck traveling on State Route 82 in Livingston in Columbia County. The driver failed to comply, and a pursuit was initiated, entering the Taconic State Parkway southbound.
The operator and sole occupant, identified as Preston, intentionally struck five marked State Police vehicles during the pursuit, causing damage to all five vehicles, troopers said.
The pickup truck was ultimately disabled following the deployment of a stinger device, also known as spike strips, in Pleasant Valley in Dutchess County.
Three troopers sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to local hospitals for treatment, State Police said.
Preston was arraigned in the Town of Milan Court and remanded to the Dutchess County Justice and Transition Center in lieu of $25,000 cash bail, $50,000 bond, or $250,000 partially secured bond.
He is scheduled back in court on March 5.
