“I know that road well. He was heading North on the West Side Highway. He could have hopped on the George Washington Bridge instead of into NYC. NJ State Troopers would have shut that down in a hurry.”
I do not know the area at all. Watching the video, it appeared to me that his choices were severely limited.
Having someone familiar with the area is very beneficial. Could you tell from the video if he was blocked from making the move you suggest, did not understand the option, or could not make the exit?
The West Side runs up the west side of Manhattan. As you reach Northern Manhattan you have three options where he was. Head to the GWB, Harlem, or the Bronx. He should have headed to Jersey. We still have a semblance of civilization and the State Troopers are no joke. They patrol the Jersey side of the GWB because there is a lot of drug flow from Bronx and Harlem. I used to live in that area of NJ and it was not uncommon to be woken up by gunfire as Troopers shot down drug mules on the Turnpike.