The Westchester car accident

[Brodirt]

How is this accident playing elsewhere in the US, or world for that matter?

It has troubled me greatly for several reasons...1. the overwhelming loss of life, and young life at that; 2. the growing mystery surrounding the wrong way driver; and (mostly) 3. how close my wife and children in one car, and myself in another came to being involved.

I was traveling, by myself, on the same road, at the same time, as the driver was before things went bad and my wife, and kids, missed the accident by 5 minutes. They were going up to drop my older one off at camp that afternoon on the Taconic and had passed the impact just minutes before the accident...in fact, its very possible that they passed the exit ramp the driver came onto as she was coming on the parkway.

Its a close call and I am chilled by the whole story. I was wondering if I am alone in this regard.

 

[Koss]

I have yet to hear about it. But I wanted to say that it is a good thing none of your family, and yourself where not involved in it all! Take care!

 

[citizensoldierny]

I can't really say anything nice so I won't say anything at all

 

[Walter Sobchak]

It's terrible. Horrific. I don't even know what to say about it, really. I grieve for every person involved.

I'm glad your loved ones left in time to miss it that day. Close calls are strange. Makes you wonder. Thank the powers that be that one of your kids didn't need to go to the bathroom, or forgot their PSP and got held up for five more minutes.

 

[_JP_]

I have absolutely no knowledge of that accident. Was this a big deal in the news?

 

[Obsessed]

Its a close call and I am chilled by the whole story. I was wondering if I am alone in this regard.

Wow. Obviously, I'm glad you and your family were not involved. I know how you feel to some degree - I live pretty close to the accident site and have driven that part of the Taconic a lot, sometimes with the kids. The whole thing has really freaked me out like few things in recent memory.

To expand on Brodirt's description for those who haven't heard, it's a really terrible story. A woman, who tunred out to be both drunk and high, was driving a minivan carrying her two children and three nieces. She drove onto an off ramp on a highway in the NYC suburbs, drove 1.7 miles going the wrong way, and collided head-on with an SUV. Everyone in her car was killed except for her five year-old son, as were three people in the minivan. There are number of weird and troubling aspects to the story in addition to the heartbreaking loss of life.

 

[Brodirt]

I have absolutely no knowledge of that accident. Was this a big deal in the news?

Its huge here in Westchester, obviously. Start here, http://tinyurl.com/msduhv, if want to know what happened.

 

[Dubbya]

I didn't hear anything about it until one of our clients, in Conshohocken, mentioned it when we were checking in on them today.

It really is a tragic thing. Sadly, it seems to happen, to a far less tragic end, here in the Charlotte area. The freeways here seem to be designed for disaster in places. The onramps and off ramps are far too close together and ambiguously marked in places. The occasional one-too-many driver also contribute to many of them.

That said, I'd say that this guy is in need of a serious dose of the Pennsylvania justice system.

 

[Bertilak]

Its a close call and I am chilled by the whole story. I was wondering if I am alone in this regard.

Glad you and your family did not get involved.

It has been a few years since I lived in NY State but I am quite familiar with the Taconic -- one of my favorite highways. I lived in Dutchess County not too far from the Taconic and would often take it instead of the other more traveled north-south routes. It is quite a tricky road even if someone isn't coming at you in the wrong direction.

Ian Flemming was also familiar with the Taconic and mentioned it in one of his Bond stories (a short story, I believe). I think Bond took it to get from NYC to the Adirondacks.

 

[The Nid Hog]

What a horrible story. Thank God that you and your family missed it. This is actually the first time I've heard about it. If the reports of her toxicology tests are to be believed, it's a shame that little kids paid the price for her idiocy.

 

[Kratos]

What a horrible story. Thank God that you and your family missed it. This is actually the first time I've heard about it. If the reports of her toxicology tests are to be believed, it's a shame that little kids paid the price for her idiocy.

The fact that she cost so many others their lives is really the only tragic part of the story. What a shame.

 

[Black Adder]

It is SCARY seeing a vehicle heading toward you on a freeway, it has happened to me.

The really bad part is, there is a moment there where you are so absolutely thrown off by what you're seeing, that there is an uncomfortably long period where you do nothing. It's almost like seeing someone walk past you, upside down, on the ceiling. Fortunately, in this case I had some time to do something. I slowed down, pulled as far to the right as I could, and flashed my lights high to low, on and off. The errant driver soon realized the mistake, and since traffic was fortunately very light, was able to shoulder and turn around in the right direction.

I'll tell you, it took a while for the hairs on the back of my neck to relax after that one!

Don

 

[Mr. Clean]

I wasn't aware of the location, but caught bits and pieces on this morning's ABC (I think) broadcast. What I heard was the husband claiming that his wife was neither drunk nor high and he has never known of any drug use during their marriage. I didn't hear much more of the story, except the number of victims.

What is alarming is the seemingly increase of this type of accident. We have had at least half a dozen wrong way highway drivers in the last year or so.(I don't have an actual count or exact time frame)

 

[Kratos]

I wasn't aware of the location, but caught bits and pieces on this morning's ABC (I think) broadcast. What I heard was the husband claiming that his wife was neither drunk nor high and he has never known of any drug use during their marriage. I didn't hear much more of the story, except the number of victims.

Well, apparently there was also a bottle of vodka in the car, and still some in her stomach. She told her brother she didn't feel well, and he told her to stop driving and pull over, he'd come get her. She obviously paid no heed. As far as her never drinking goes, it could be true. Not betting money on it. That's the kind of thing your family says after you get killed doing something like this, whether it's the truth or not. I feel for her them, and the other victim's families. Glad BroDirt's family was safely miles away when this happened.

 

[ouch]

We've heard the twinky defense and other explainations that stretch the limits of credulity, but some of the comments her lawyer made were really breaking new ground.

I recall my driver's ed instructor in high school writing a single word on the board- responsibility. He didn't have to add another word.

 

[marvin100]

I'd be pretty surprised if anyone outside the US cared much about it. Other countries have their own tragedies.

My heart goes out to the victims.

 

[Mr. Clean]

Well, apparently there was also a bottle of vodka in the car, and still some in her stomach. She told her brother she didn't feel well, and he told her to stop driving and pull over, he'd come get her. She obviously paid no heed. As far as her never drinking goes, it could be true. Not betting money on it. That's the kind of thing your family says after you get killed doing something like this, whether it's the truth or not. I feel for her them, and the other victim's families. Glad BroDirt's family was safely miles away when this happened.

That is a bit more info than I heard. Other than a blood alcohol count I didn't here any further toxicology info. I didn't hear if they said she didn't drink, rather that she didn't use drugs. Where was she coming from and going to? Did anyone see her drinking or smoking?

Yeah, I get the denial thing.

We've heard the twinky defense and other explainations that stretch the limits of credulity, but some of the comments her lawyer made were really breaking new ground.

I recall my driver's ed instructor in high school writing a single word on the board- responsibility. He didn't have to add another word.

You got me there. What is a twinky defense?

 

[Kratos]

You got me there. What is a twinky defense?

It's a nonsensical, improbable defense. Like saying you were trying to shoo a fly off someone's face with a baseball bat after you slug them with it. I think it came from the Dan White case where he murdered Harvey Milk and that other guy. Some nonsense about being "too depressed" to have committed the murders and other assorted malarkey.

I haven't read anything that indicates anyone saw her smoking or drinking just yet. I have read rumors of her lawyer(or somebody) saying the substances were in her system because she kissed some guy who was high and drunk. That may be the twinkie ouch referred to.

 

[Obsessed]

Where was she coming from and going to? Did anyone see her drinking or smoking?

She was returning home to Long Island from a family camping trip in upstate New York. One of many strange aspects of the accident is that she should have headed south after crossing into Westcester County but instead headed north and was nowhere near where she should have been going. Oh, and they found her cell phone on the ground near the spot where she called her brother. Evidently she didn't like the advice to stop and wait for him. During that phone call, the brother also spoke to his daughter, who was later killed; I think she was the one who was able to tell him where they were. I really can't bear to think of what those poor kids were going through during that ride.

 

[Mr. Clean]

It's a nonsensical, improbable defense. Like saying you were trying to shoo a fly off someone's face with a baseball bat after you slug them with it. I think it came from the Dan White case where he murdered Harvey Milk and that other guy. Some nonsense about being "too depressed" to have committed the murders and other assorted malarkey.

I haven't read anything that indicates anyone saw her smoking or drinking just yet. I have read rumors of her lawyer(or somebody) saying the substances were in her system because she kissed some guy who was high and drunk. That may be the twinkie ouch referred to.

Ahhh...learned something new on B&B today.

Whoa! That defense sounds vaguely familiar. Gasquet used it to good effect with the governing body of the ITF.

I missed Brodirt's link to the Daily News article. Reading answered a couple of my questions, but prompted more questions. How far of a drive from the campground to the accident site?