CORRECTION: The picture provided to our offices that originally accompanied this story is not that of Sharifabdul Ali. After receiving a communication from the Bethlehem Police Department, we have removed the photo from this story. UPDATED: Oct. 11, 2017.
A 48-year-old Selkirk man was arrested on a host of charges after he crashed into a tree and fled the scene with his 5-year-old child.
According to Bethlehem Commander Adam Hornick, at around 1: 30 p.m. on Sept. 24, officers responded to a reported crash on South Albany Road near Currey Avenue in Selkirk and found a 2013 Chevrolet Express van had crashed into a tree. A wheel flew off the Chevy and damaged a nearby vehicle.
Witnesses told police the driver, Sharifabdul Ali, fled on foot into a nearby residence.
Ali was quickly placed under arrest and the child was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital for an evaluation.
Ali was charged with one felony count of aggravated DWI with a child in the vehicle – Leandra’s Law – and the misdemeanors of DWI with a BAC of more than .08 percent, DWI with a BAC of more than .18 percent, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, endangering the welfare of a child and the infractions of unsafe lane change, imprudent speed and driving with a child not in a car seat.
He was arraigned in Bethlehem Town Court and remanded to Albany County jail on $5,000 bail.