Stony Point, NY – A 19-year-old Orange County man was killed Tuesday morning after his vehicle left the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland County and struck a tree, according to New York State Police.
Police identified the driver as Christopher A. Rivera of Newburgh. The single-vehicle crash occurred at approximately 9:46 a.m. on Tuesday, September 1, along the southbound Palisades Interstate Parkway near Exit 16 in the Town of Stony Point. The crash occurred near mile marker 31.3, a section of the parkway close to the northern end of Rockland County.
According to State Police, Rivera was driving a 2010 Toyota Corolla southbound when the vehicle left the roadway. Investigators said the Toyota entered the center median and struck a tree. Rivera was the only person inside the vehicle.
It was raining at the time of the crash, and police reported that the roadway was wet. Authorities have not determined what caused Rivera to leave the roadway, and the circumstances leading up to the collision remain under investigation. Police have not announced whether speed or any other factor contributed to the crash.
Emergency personnel responded to the scene, where Rivera had to be extricated from the heavily damaged vehicle. He was then transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern for treatment. Rivera later died from his injuries, according to State Police.
The crash occurred along a heavily traveled portion of the Palisades Interstate Parkway connecting northern Rockland County with Orange County. Exit 16 serves the Lake Welch Drive area and is located in Stony Point, near the Rockland-Orange county line.
The incident was one of two serious crashes reported in the area of the Palisades Parkway around the same time Tuesday morning. A separate crash was reported on the northbound side of the parkway between Exits 16 and 17 in Woodbury. In that incident, a 20-year-old man was transported by Rockland Hatzoloh EMS to Good Samaritan Hospital, and traffic delays were reported in both directions.
The two incidents were initially reported separately, and authorities have not indicated that they were connected.
The fatal Stony Point crash remains under investigation by New York State Police. Investigators are asking anyone who personally witnessed Rivera’s crash or who may have information about what occurred immediately beforehand to contact the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Haverstraw at 845-344-5300.
No additional information about the investigation has been released.