Good Samaritan fatally plummets West Nyack embankment during attempt to help crashed driver
Authorities say the incident began after an 18-year-old driver lost control on Palisades Center Drive, struck a guardrail, crashed through a fence and overturned.
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A Good Samaritan fell to his death while trying to help a crashed driver Tuesday in West Nyack, according to the Clarkstown Police Department.
Authorities say the incident began after an 18-year-old driver lost control on Palisades Center Drive, struck a guardrail, crashed through a fence and overturned.
Officers responded to the scene around 1:20 a.m. and were told by a 32-year-old male passenger that the driver was no longer inside. He also described seeing a passerby stop to assist but did not know their location.
Officers heard the injured driver calling for help below a retaining wall around 30 to 40 feet beneath the roadway, surrounded by dense vegetation.
Police and fire crews extricated the driver from the embankment, then found an unresponsive man nearby. The man, now identified as a 43-year-old Maybrook resident, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators believe he approached the edge of the retaining wall after hearing the driver’s pleas, fell and sustained fatal injuries. His name is being withheld pending notification to his family.
Police say the driver and passenger were hospitalized for treatment. The driver was ultimately arrested and charged with DWI, along with numerous traffic violations.
She was released on an appearance ticket and is set to appear in the Town of Clarkstown Justice Court at a future date.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is urged to call 845-639-5800.
