Rule
GOSHEN – A Pine Bush man pled guilty in Orange County Court on Thursday to vehicular manslaughter in connection with his June 13 killing of a pedestrian on Route 300 in the Town of New Windsor.
Michael Rule, 33, faces up to two-and-one-third to seven years in state prison when sentenced in March, said District Attorney David Hoovler.
On June 13, 2016, between 6:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Rule was driving on Route 300 in New Windsor. Rule struck the pedestrian from behind as he walked down the road. The man died from his injuries.
Rule left the scene into the Town of Newburgh when a couple, who had not seen the collision, saw him driving the car with extensive front end damage. They followed him and called the police as they suspected he had been involved in a crash.
The couple followed Rule for several miles, relaying his license plate number and direction of travel to police the entire time. The couple continued to follow Rule and report to police even after he got into the passenger seat of a car driven by another man, who had nothing to do with the incident.
Police arrived and arrested Rule. A blood test revealed his blood-alcohol level was .15 percent. DNA evidence also linked Rule’s car to the victim.
New Windsor and Town of Newburgh police departments investigated the case.
