Police Stop Man From Igniting Gasoline After Ulster County Crash

Police stop a 32-year-old Ulster County man attempting to ignite a large amount of gasoline after an accident in the Town of Ulster, NY.

The Town of Ulster Police Department has confirmed that a man has been taken into custody and transported to a local hospital after he was acting erratically following a motor vehicle accident in the Town of Ulster on Thursday.

Man Trapped in Truck in Ulster County, NY

According to a Town of Ulster Police Department press release, it all started on Thursday, March 12th, 2026, at approximately 4:54 p.m., when officers were dispatched by 911 to a reported motor vehicle accident on State Route 209 in the area of the Enterprise Drive overpass.

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Upon arrival, officers located a 2004 Ford F-250 utility truck lying on its side in the southbound lane of Route 209. As officers began to assess the situation, it was discovered that the driver was trapped inside and that a large amount of gasoline was leaking from the damaged truck.

Driver Becomes "Erratic" Attempting to Ignite Gasoline

As officers made contact with the driver, later identified as 32-year-old Jalen Heroy of Clintondale, NY, they said that he began acting "extremely erratically" and at times began to attempt to ignite the gasoline that was leaking from the truck.

Officers, along with members of the Ulster Hose Fire Department, were able to stop him from setting the gas on fire and were able to get him out of the truck. Once out, police said Heroy became physically combative with officers.

Eventually, he was taken into custody and transported to Health Alliance Hospital in Kingston, NY, for further evaluation. Police said that no charges have been filed against Heroy and that the incident is under investigation.

Route 209 Reopened

The southbound lanes of Route 209 were closed for about an hour before it was reopened once the scene was cleared and deemed safe for travel.