MAN ALLEGEDLY DRAGS NEW YORK DEPUTY WITH CAR AND THEN THROWS DRUGS

A man trying to avoid a drug arrest dragged a sheriff's deputy with his car Wednesday night. The deputy wasn't injured. The driver, Jason Hoag, 26, of Youngsville, is now facing felony charges. Deputy Blake Starner and Bethel Constable Chris McCarthy were working on a burglary case when they stopped their patrol cars to talk around 6 p.m. on Horseshoe Lake Road. Police said Hoag, whom McCarthy has dealt with in the past, pulled up in his car and stopped to say hello. His girlfriend, BobbyJo Grabek, 27, of Honesdale, was in the car with him. Her two children were in the back seat. Starner got out of his car, walked over to Hoag's window, smelled marijuana and ordered Hoag out of the car. Starner reached in to switch off the ignition and to get Hoag out.

That's when Hoag hit the gas, dragging Starner a short distance, said Sullivan County Undersheriff Eric Chaboty. Starner got free of the car. As Hoag tried to drive off, police said they saw money and a bag of weed come flying out the windows of his car.