Michael Hastings Obituary, Death; – Authorities have identified the individual who was fatally struck while attempting to cross Interstate 390 in an effort to evade law enforcement after allegedly shoplifting from a nearby grocery store.
According to police, Michael Hastings, aged 33, stole items from Aldi located on Spencerport Road in Gates at approximately 12:05 p.m. on Thursday and fled on foot in an easterly direction towards Lyell Avenue carrying a backpack filled with merchandise.
When an officer observed him on Lyell Avenue above State Route 390, Hastings fled down the side of the bridge onto the expressway, traversed multiple lanes of traffic, and was subsequently struck by a vehicle traveling southbound, as reported by Gates Police Chief Rob Long. Hastings was declared deceased at the scene.
In a statement released on Monday, Long noted that Hastings, who was found with drug paraphernalia, had accumulated a total of 19 arrests since 2019, the majority of which were related to larceny or stolen property, and had several active warrants throughout Monroe County.
When will this cycle come to an end? It is all too common to witness the same individuals being arrested repeatedly for Petit Larceny, only to be issued appearance tickets or swiftly released following arraignment. There must be an improvement in accountability. Sheriff Baxter and his team have diligently worked to establish impactful programs within the Monroe County Jail designed to assist individuals grappling with addiction in obtaining the necessary services, programs that could potentially decrease petty crime and even save lives.
Long stated that the New York State Police and the New York State Attorney General’s Office are currently investigating the incident that occurred on Thursday.
