Man fleeing police charged with manslaughter after passenger drowns in Erie Canal

Photo by Tom Rivers: Firefighters and law enforcement officers responded to a U-Haul that plunged into the Erie Canal, just east of the Bennetts Corners Road canal bridge. The body of a man who drowned was recovered by the dive team from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

A Monroe County man has been charged with second-degree manslaughter after his passenger in U-Haul truck drowned in the Erie Canal last night.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said Ryan S. Armstrong, 43, recklessly caused the death of his passenger.

Armstrong was driving the U-Haul box truck with Arizona license plate and attempted to evade law enforcement, topping 85 miles per hour.

Armstrong and his passenger were allegedly stealing items from the Walgreens on Main Street in Brockport and loading the items into the U-Haul. The passenger’s name hasn’t been publicly released yet.

Brockport Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies both attempted to stop the U-Haul, but Armstrong refused to stop and recklessly attempted to evade law enforcement, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office stated in the felony complaint filed against Armstrong.

He was arraigned this morning by the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office and is being held in the Orleans County Jail without bail.

Armstrong also drove into a field to evade law enforcement. After successful deployment of spike strips in the area of Bennetts Corners Road, deflating the left rear tire, Armstrong kept driving at a high rate of speed, the felony complaint states.

He turned down an Erie Canal service road and turned sharply to the left, plunging the vehicle into the water at about 7:16 p.m. Armstrong and his passenger both escaped from the cab of the U-Haul. Armstrong was able to swim ashore across the canal while the passenger drowned.

The numerous reckless actions by Armstrong led to the passenger’s death, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office stated.

Armstrong was located and detained after deputies formed a perimeter on the north side of the canal between Bennetts Corners and Countyline roads. A drone picked up a heat signature to help law enforcement locate Armstrong, said Chief Deputy Michael Fowler of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.