U-Haul driver facing manslaughter, numerous other charges from Sept. 2 death, high-speed chase
Ryan Armstrong
ALBION – The man driving a U-Haul that plunged into the Erie Canal on Sept. 2, following a high-speed chase with law enforcement, was arraigned in Orleans County Court this morning on manslaughter and numerous other felonies.
Ryan Armstrong, 43, was driving a stolen U-Haul with Reginald Russell, 56, of Rochester as the passenger.
The two had been spotted allegedly stealing items from the Walgreens in Brockport and loading them into the U-Haul. They attempted to flee law enforcement in a chase where speeds reached speeds up to 85 miles per hour. The chase went from Clarkson into Ogden, back through Brockport and eventually onto a canal service road in Orleans County.
Police used spike strips in the area of Bennetts Corners Road, where one of the vehicle’s tires became deflated. Armstrong then drove onto the southside of canal pathway before driving the U-Haul into the water, just east of Bennetts Corners Road.
Russell escaped the vehicle and was spotted struggling in the water before he went under, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies jumped in to try and save him, but could not find him due to murky water conditions. Russell’s body was later recovered by a scuba team from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Armstrong escaped the vehicle, swam to the north side of the canal and ran away, but was eventually caught and taken into custody with the use of drone technology, said Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke.
Armstrong today was arraigned in Orleans County Court by Judge Sanford Church. Armstrong has been charged with manslaughter for recklessly causing a death, as well as these felonies: fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle in the first degree, criminal possession of stolen property valued at more than $50,000 in the second degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in a death.
Armstrong also faces misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment in the second degree, unauthorized use of a vehicle, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, and criminal mischief for property damage.
Judge Church set bail at $100,000 cash, $200,000 insurance bond or $500,000 partially secured bond at 10 percent.
Armstrong is next to appear in court on Nov. 24 for a conference.
In other cases in County Court:
• Jason Dusett, 50, of Lyndonville was sentenced to six months in the county jail for aggravated driving while intoxicated, a felony. He also has to pay $490 in court surcharges, a $50 DNA database fee, $25 DWI fee and $25 crime victims fee.
Dusett was stopped on June 12 and a state trooper recorded Dusett’s Blood Alcohol Content at 0.19 percent, more than double the legal limit. Dusett has a previous DWI in Victor in 2018.
• In cases from last week, Joseph Reamer, 53, of Albion pleaded guilty to third-degree rape for sexual contact without the other person’s consent in April 2025. He faces up to two years in state prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 7.
• Marcus Donley, 22, of Medina was sentenced to 364 in the county jail for violating his probation by not getting treatment or housing. Donley is on probation for third-degree burglary and criminal mischief.
