NEWBURGH, New York — One man has been indicted by a grand jury on numerous felonies after he led a police chase that caused a death after hitting a bobtail semi.
Liam F. McNichol was indicted by an Orange County Grand Jury on December 19, 2025. New York State Police reported that McNichol turned himself in on December 23, 2025, at which time he was arrested and charged with the following offenses:
Three counts of Vehicular Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree, Class D Felony
Vehicular Manslaughter in the 1st Degree, .18 of 1% or more Alcohol in Blood, Class C Felony
Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, .18 of 1% or more Alcohol in Blood, Class B Felony
Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree, Recklessly Cause Death, Class C Felony
Assault in the 1st Degree, Cause Serious Physical Injury During a Felony, Class B Felony
Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle in the 1st Degree, Causing a Person’s Death, Class D Felony
McNichol was arraigned on December 23, 2025, in Orange County Court and was remanded to the Orange County Jail. Bail was set at $250,000 cash, $1,000,000 bond, or $1,500,000 partially secured bond. McNichol is scheduled to return to Orange County Court on January 6, 2026.
The incident occurred on April 25, 2025, at about 3:43 a.m. That is when troopers patrolling on Route 9W in Newburgh attempted to stop a 2015 GMC Sierra pickup truck after observing vehicle and traffic violations, according to the original press release. The driver of the pickup, identified as McNichol, did not comply, and troopers initiated a pursuit, which traveled south on Route 9W to State Route 32 and then to I-84 westbound.
According to information in the original release, troopers discontinued the pursuit because the suspect vehicle was traveling at dangerously high speeds. A short time later, troopers discovered that the vehicle had crashed off the shoulder of the roadway. The preliminary investigation determined that the suspect vehicle collided with a bobtail tractor causing McNichol to lose control of the pickup and crashed.
The passenger in the suspect vehicle, Phelipe Figueroa, 25, of Otisville, NY, was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital in Newburgh, where he died. McNichol was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital with minor injuries.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
