By John Tozzi
The suspect, 50-year-old Walter Hurdle of Valley Stream, L.I., was sitting in a 2001 GMC Denali at 122nd Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard around 8:20 p.m. Thursday, according to an account by the DA. Uniformed police who suspected he was rolling a joint approached and asked for a license, which he did not have, the DA said.
Police asked him to get out of the car, but Hurdle refused and sped off with Sgt. John Pagnotta caught inside of the driver's side door, Brown said. He crashed into a patrol car, pinning Pagnotta inside the door, and drove at least another 15 feet when the sergeant was thrown into oncoming traffic, just missing car, the DA said.
Hurdle fled into oncoming traffic and ditched the car a few blocks away, where police recovered marijuana, Brown said. Pagnotta was hospitalized with broken ribs, a broken pelvis, a fractured backbone and a dislocated shoulder.
The DA said Hurdle turned himself in to the 113th Precinct Friday and was expected to be arraigned Saturday on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, marijuana possession and driving without a license.
