ACSO seizes illegal dirt bikes, hit and run victim father reacts

ALBANY, N.Y. ( NEWS10 ) — Nearly a week after the hit and run of 18-year-old U-Albany student Alexa Kropf by an illegal dirt biker, the county sheriff’s office announced an overnight operation that got several bikes off of the streets.

“We put a detail together to strictly target the illegal operation of dirt bikes mopeds ATVs, UTVs,” Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple told NEWS10’s Zion Decoteau.

Thursday night, his deputies confiscated 10 illegal dirt bikes, eight however escaped. Apple says the hit-and-run of 18-year-old Alexa Kropf prompted the operation.

“I can’t imagine sending my child off to college only a couple of hours away knowing that she’s coming home within a week to see family and spend the summer with family and then to find out she’s in a coma,” said Sheriff Apple.

Well, that’s the reality for Alexa’s father Jim Kropf.

“So now here we have a tragic event. Something really horrible that’s happened, and now action seems…it appears action is being taken. It’s so unfortunate that my daughter has to be the one to get this thing going” Kropf told Decoteau.

The suspect who ran down his daughter is at large. While Kropf thanks law enforcement for the seizures, he says he’s frustrated that more weren’t able to be seized.

“If they’re doing something illegal then they need to pay the price because my daughter certainly paid the price. If anyone wants to see my daughter in the hospital, it’s an awful site to look at as a parent,” Kropf shared.

Apple seconds Krof’s frustration but pointed out the difficulties in catching illegal dirtbikes. “People were really afraid to engage them because they didn’t want something to happen if you were chasing them whatever, and then look what happened here in our capital city” Apple explained.

According to the Sheriff, illegal dirt biking is a problem all over the county and centered on main roads like Central Avenue.

“Everybody thinks well these are inner-city people doing it. It’s not. Some of the folks we got last night that we know, we were chasing from the hill towns of the county. We know who they are we’re going to get paid a visit,” stated the Sheriff.

Apple says several people were arrested in the seizure. They face misdemeanor charges. The work is not done yet. The Sheriff says dozens more are bikes still on the streets, and his office will partner with state agencies to round them up.

Alexa Kroph remains at Albany Med in critical but stable condition. Her family hopes to transport her closer to them on Long Island.

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