At 8:18 a.m. on Friday, Ellenville Police Officer Josh Caliendo was attempting to stop a gray Buick Century for having no brake lights at the intersection of Route 209 and Washington Avenue in the Village of Ellenville.

It was at that point that, according to court arraignment records, Brian O'Neill attempted to elude Caliendo and proceeded down Washington Avenue to Lincoln Street where a school bus was stopped with its lights activated. O'Neill then intentionally passed the bus and headed out onto Route 209 North where he reached speeds of nearly 90 miles per hour and veered into oncoming traffic.

State Police were notified and the vehicle doubled back south toward the Village of Ellenville where O'Neill passed a second school bus that was stopped while loading passengers. On his return to the village, Ellenville Police Chief Phil Mattracion attempted to stop the car with his own. Mattracion said he had to take evasive action to keep from being struck head on by the oncoming vehicle.

Three Ellenville Police units were dispatched to follow the vehicle through the Village and up Canal Street onto Route 52 West, where he ran around a third school bus that was stopped.

Mattracion ordered his units to terminate their attempts to stop the vehicle and notified Sullivan County agencies of the vehicle's last direction of travel. A few minutes later, Ellenville Police were notified that the Town of Fallsburg Police had the vehicle stopped in Woodbourne with the assistance of the Department of Environmental Protection Police.

The subject was turned over to Ellenville PD, where he was identified as Brian O'Neil, age 19, of 2 Woodland Way, Ellenville. He was charged with first degree reckless endangerment (a felony); and a variety of misdemeanors including unlawfully fleeing police, reckless driving, and driving while registration suspended.

Additionally, three counts of passing a stopped school bus, operating without insurance, unlicensed operation, speeding in zone (four counts), failed to signal, passed stop sign (two counts), and no brake lights.

Additional charges may be pending in the Town of Fallsburg, and further charges may be lodged by the State Police in Wawarsing for vehicle infractions committed in Napanoch.

There were no injuries to any civilians, officers, or any damage to vehicles.

The suspect was brought into the Ellenville Court House for arraignment before Judge Levine at 11:52 a.m. on the date of the arrest by Officers Josh Caliendo and Dave Kindt, where charges were presented. He was tentatively assigned a lawyer and held on $2,000 cash bail and a $4,000 bond. He was ordered to return to court on Tuesday, January 8 at 5:00 p.m.

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