Car accident in New York kills 2 on the Thruway

August 20, 2014

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The man police believe to have been responsible for a serious crash on the New York State Thruway has been identified as an off-duty NYPD officer himself, according to local sources. New York authorities identified the 32-year-old man, who police say was on his way to work at the time of the car accident. The State Police are still investigating the particulars of the crash and have asked for witnesses to come forward with any pertinent information.

So far it appears the off-duty officer made an error in judgment while on his way to the shooting range, accidentally pulling onto the wrong part of the Thruway and ending up going the wrong way. It appears the man recognized his error and was attempting to correct it when the accident occurred. He struck another vehicle head-on, killing himself and the 53-year-old driver of the other vehicle. No passengers were being transported in either vehicle.

Police say there is no reason to believe alcohol was involved in the accident as the officer was on his way to work. They are investigating the possibility that medication was involved or that the officer simply wasn’t paying attention. So far, the investigation is still considered open.

Sometimes, tragic errors are not the result of serious lapses in judgment but simply poor decisions. In the case of this car accident, the family of the deceased 53-year-old driver will be entitled to pursue legal action against the estate of the officer. The initial evidence certainly appears to suggest he was responsible for the crash. A wrongful death suit could be filed in a New York civil court if the gathered evidence supports this conclusion.

Source: 7online.com, “Driver in wrong-way crash on New York State Thruway in Suffern was off-duty NYPD officer“, Marcus Solis, Aug. 13, 2014