Hempstead man arrested in Albany on drug, traffic charges

A Hempstead man trying to evade a state trooper in Albany lost control speeding on a hairpin turn and crashed into a fence and cars, sending his passengers to a hospital, State Police said Tuesday.

Wayne A. Smalls Jr., 31, failed to stop about 3 a.m. Friday on I-787 by the Empire State Plaza when a trooper tried to pull him over for having a vehicle with dark tinted windows, which is illegal in the state, said Trooper David Howard, a spokesman for Troop T in Albany.

Smalls accelerated to 90 mph in the 30 mph turn on the South Mall Arterial under the plaza and slammed into a fence, he said.

"During the hairpin turn . . . he hit the curb, took out the fence and landed between J and Hudson streets," Howard said.

The vehicle hit two parked cars, which then hit a third one, he said.

Smalls gave the state trooper a fake name and admitted he had smoked marijuana, Howard said.

He and his three passengers had minor injuries that were treated at local hospitals, police said. At the hospital, the driver agreed to have his blood drawn to determine the drug content in his system, police said, but test results are not yet back.

Smalls was charged with several misdemeanors: driving while ability impaired by drugs, third-degree unlawful fleeing of police officer, fourth-degree criminal mischief, second-degree reckless endangerment and false personation. He also was cited for several vehicle and traffic violations, police said.

Smalls was held in Albany County jail with bail set at $10,000 cash or bond and is scheduled to go back to court Friday. It was not clear if he had an attorney.