911 calls from fatal wrong-way crash on I-87 released

News 12 has exclusively obtained the 911 tapes from last month's fatal wrong-way crash on I-87 in Suffern. Police say off-duty NYPD Officer Richard Christopher, 32, drove along I-87 in the wrong direction

News 12 Staff

Sep 6, 2014, 3:34 PM

Updated 3,654 days ago

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News 12 has exclusively obtained the 911 tapes from last month's fatal wrong-way crash on I-87 in Suffern.
Police say off-duty NYPD Officer Richard Christopher, 32, drove along I-87 in the wrong direction before crashing into another car, driven by 59-year-old James DeVito, of Airmont. Both drivers were killed.
The tapes, obtained by a Freedom of Information request, has witnesses describing the accident as serious, with one woman requesting at least two ambulances come to the scene. Another witness who called 911 says a pickup truck, driven by Christopher, was facing the wrong direction and the driver looked like he was sleeping.
Christopher's family claims fatigue due to being overworked may have been a factor in the crash. He had been heading to work in the Bronx, just hours after coming off a long shift.
The accident remains under investigation. The Rockland County Medical Examiner's Office says toxicology results are still pending.