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The false impersonation charge against Dennis Drue, a man previously convicted for a fatal crash in 2012, has been dismissed. Drue was arrested last month in Colonie, New York, after allegedly giving a false name to police while sitting in a vehicle at The Crossings park. However, body camera footage showed that Drue quickly corrected himself after being warned of the consequences, leading to the dismissal of the charge on Monday (April 21).
Drue's attorney, James C. Knox, confirmed that the footage supported Drue's immediate retraction of the false name, and the prosecution did not oppose the dismissal motion. Despite the charge being dropped, Drue remains in custody at Albany County Jail, as he is on parole for the 2012 crash that killed two Shenendehowa High School students, Chris Stewart and Deanna Rivers. He served nine years of a five to 15-year sentence for that incident.
The families of the crash victims expressed disappointment over the dismissal, viewing it as another instance of Drue avoiding accountability. Mike Stewart, father of one of the victims, stated, "This misdemeanor charge was an important lead into his upcoming parole hearing." Drue's parole status will be reviewed in a hearing scheduled for May 7, where an administrative law judge will decide if he violated his parole conditions.
Drue's recent arrest occurred while he was on parole for the 2012 crash, and any violation could potentially result in him being sent back to prison until 2028. The families of the victims plan to attend the upcoming parole hearing, hoping for a decision that favors the victims' interests.