Benton, N.Y. - A look at court documents from Steven Eldridge’s past show a man repeatedly involved in reckless traffic incidents, drugs, and run-ins with police.
Steven Eldridge, 42, now sits in a Yates County jail on $125,000 bail after investigators say he caused one of the deadliest road collisions in the county’s history.
He is charged with five counts of criminally negligent homicide, driving while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, reckless driving, and other traffic infractions. If convicted of any felonies in this case, prosecutors could seek “persistent felony offender” status for Eldridge, meaning a maximum prison sentence of 15-to-Life or 25-to-Life.
Criminal Past
The reason for that stems from Eldridge’s prior criminal convictions. He was arrested in November, 2003 in Montgomery County, Ohio after police say he assaulted an officer and tampered with evidence when he swallowed an amount of crack-cocaine. Court records show Eldridge was convicted in 2004 of tampering with evidence and sentenced to probation.
In April 2006 Eldridge was arrested by Rochester Police after they claim he stole a police patrol car and proceeded to lead pursuing officers on a 24 minute chase through the city and the Town of Irondequoit.
Police paperwork indicates speeds exceeded 80 mph, and at one point Eldridge was driving the wrong direction on I-490.
In a police interview after that incident, Eldridge was asked if he had smoked crack earlier in the day and he reportedly said “Yes.”
