MONTGOMERY, N.Y. – Two separate highway crashes in the Hudson Valley on Tuesday claimed the lives of two motorists in what investigators are calling unrelated but tragic incidents.
The first occurred just before 8 a.m. on State Route 312 in the town of Southeast, while the second happened later that afternoon on Interstate 84 in Montgomery.
Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
Key Points
- Two fatal crashes were reported in Putnam and Orange counties on Tuesday.
- A 74-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man were killed in separate collisions.
- Investigations into both incidents remain active.
Woman killed in head-on crash in Southeast
State Police said 74-year-old Eleana S. Silk of Carmel was driving eastbound on State Route 312 around 7:46 a.m. when her Honda CRV crossed into the opposite lane and collided head-on with a 2023 Freightliner. The truck, driven by 57-year-old Richard G. Medina of New Fairfield, Connecticut, remained upright after the collision, and Medina was not injured. Silk was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fatal collision on Interstate 84 in Montgomery
Later in the day, around 3:06 p.m., troopers from the Montgomery barracks responded to a second fatal crash on Interstate 84 westbound near exit 28. Investigators determined that a 2020 Freightliner tractor-trailer had slowed due to traffic when a westbound Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van failed to stop and struck the rear of the trailer.
The driver of the Freightliner, a 47-year-old man from Springfield, Massachusetts, was uninjured. The van’s driver, identified as 71-year-old Kevin Cantwell of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, had to be extricated from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.
State Police continue dual investigations
New York State Police say both investigations remain ongoing as troopers from Brewster and Montgomery review roadway conditions, vehicle data, and potential contributing factors in each crash. No charges have been filed.