The damaged patrol vehicles in the sally port behind the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office show just how dangerous Wednesday night was — and how it could have been much worse.

"So it was a stressful, intense incident," said Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty.

During a news conference Thursday afternoon, Dougherty discussed the multi-county chase involving a tractor-trailer.

It started in Le Roy - with a traffic stop on Route 5A. The driver - now identified as Joshua Blessed, 58, of Virginia - refused to talk to officers who pulled him over for speeding.

"That's when the driver decided to leave the scene with the other officer still on the cab. Fortunately, he was able to jump off without any injury," said Chief Chris Hayward of the Le Roy Police Department.

During the chase - several patrol vehicles were rammed.  In gunfights with authorities, two other vehicles were shot. One bullet flew just over a Genesee County lawman who was part of the pursuit. An unmarked Livingston County car was struck multiple times.

"He fired a lot of shots and we fired a lot of shots. That's really the best answer I can give you right now," said Dougherty.

The chase reached speeds of 70 miles per hour.  At times - the driver stopped his truck completely. Dougherty says Blessed got on I-390 at Exit 8, eventually did a U-turn and got off at Exit 8 again. That's where deputies were waiting with long guns and started firing at him. 

It all ended just before 10 p.m. Wednesday when blessed was shot and killed during a gunfight with authorities on route 20A in Geneseo — his truck running off the road and into a ditch.  

"You have a heavy, heavy vehicle with a man who wants to do carnage, he's actively trying to kill our deputies," Dougherty added.

Blessed, who police say was previously named Sergia Jourev, was in Genesee County to haul dairy products. He was working for a trucking company out of Virginia. Authorities are not sure of his motive. The sheriff acknowledged several anti-law enforcement social media posts were allegedly made by Blessed.

"That's what police training is all about — being prepared. And in a situation like this, I don't know many police agencies that are training to try and stop a semi and figure out the logistics of that, but it is a challenge and they all rose to that challenge," Dougherty said.

Perhaps amazingly - through multiple shots fired and a reckless pursuit on usually busy roads and streets - no one was hurt - on a night that no one involved will soon forget.

"Like I said, I can't put to words what this incident was like," said Dougherty.