Wild Oneonta Car Crash Leads to Felony Charge

A car crash in Oneonta's East End ultimately revealed a multitude of offenses.  These led to a felony charge for the driver and the investigation also revealed some extraordinary components of the accident.

New York State Troopers responded to a wild scene on June 13, 2021 in the East End.  When they arrived they discovered that a car had done significant damage in its wild ride through the area.  The car careened off a guard rail, smashed into a traffic sign, continued on and damaged a restaurant sign, hit a tree and ended up in the woods surrounding the Farmhouse Restaurant.  Witnesses told officers that people had exited the vehicle and had been seen crossing Rt. 7 and had entered Price Chopper in the mall.  That is where they were apprehended.

New York State Police at Oneonta arrested Johnny L. Walker, age 40 of Rochester, NY for the felony of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the first degree.

An investigation revealed that Walker was driving the car when he crashed. Walker and a passenger declined medical attention, but a child was transported to A.O Fox Hospital as a precaution. A further investigation revealed that Walker does not have a valid driver’s license and it has been suspended 27 times.

Walker was arrested and transported to SP Oneonta for processing. He was released on appearance tickets to the Town of Oneonta court on June 22, 2021.

Clearly, this was an accident that could have resulted in more serious property damage as well as serious injuries to the driver and passengers.

Thank you to our officers for your handling of this difficult accident.