The incident occurred when officers saw Maycol Ucelo Arreola, originally of Guatemala, operating a vehicle in an erratic matter; nearly striking a patrol unit on John Street, said Officer Matthew Galli.
Officers tried to stop Arreola, but he failed to comply and instead attempted to flee from police by breaking numerous traffic laws, Galli said.
Police finally caught up with him when he crashed into a tree on Scotland Hill Road in the village of Chestnut Ridge, police said.
Following the crash, when officers checked on Arreola he was unresponsive and there was a strong smell of alcohol coming from the car and from Arreola, Galli said.
While officers were trying to talk with Arreola the car burst into flames and the officers pulled him from the car to safety, Galli said.
Within minutes the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames, police said.
First aid was administered to Arreola by officers until an ambulance could arrive on the scene, and he was transported to Westchester Medical Center.
According, to the medical doctors at the hospital, Arreola's blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit of .08 percent, Galli said.
Following the accident, police discovered that Arreola had been deported back to Guatemala in 2008 and he had returned to the United States illegally, Galli added.
He is currently considered a deported alien and ICE has placed a detainer on the defendant, police said.
He was charged with unlawful fleeing a police officer; failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to keep right, reckless driving, DWI, felony DWI, and a seatbelt violation.
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