Hudson Valley Police Seeking Drivers Targeted by Laser Pointer

A suspicious car has been riding around with an occupant shining a laser light into the eyes of other people on the road.

The Dutchess County Sheriff's department wants to know if you were targeted by the person who was allegedly attempting to blind drivers on Sunday in the Town of Wappinger. A passenger was allegedly in possession of a laser pointer that they were using to shine inside other vehicles while someone was driving them around.

Dispatchers received a call at 1:00 in the morning from someone who claimed that they witnessed the car targeting drivers with a laser pointer. Officers were sent out to investigate the complaint. As they were searching for the suspicious vehicle, a detective was hit with the laser beam that had been pointed into his eyes and face. The officer turned on his lights and pursued the vehicle, which police say pulled away quickly and fled in a "reckless manner."

After pulling over the vehicle, one of the occupants of the car was arrested and charged with Reckless Endangerment 2nd Degree. The driver was charged with Reckless Driving and other traffic infractions. No other information was given about the driver or passenger. Flash blindness occurs when the laser enters the retina and can cause drivers to temporarily lose vision, leading to car crashes and serious injury.

If anyone has information about the incident or was targeted by a laser beam, they're being asked to contact the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office at 845-486-3800 or call the tipline at 845-605-CLUE. Emails can be sent to dcsotips@gmail.com.