News 12 has learned that a busy stretch of Route 6 in Orange County is among the most dangerous highways in New York state, according to state police data.

The alarming data was obtained in a Freedom of Information Request and shows a total of 2,044 motor vehicle accidents from Fort Montgomery to Port Jervis since 2022, including 12 fatalities and 92 serious injuries.

Most of the crashes were in Fort Montgomery and Woodbury in parts where the roadway is a single lane in each direction or without a concrete barrier to divide the opposite lanes of travel.

“This stretch is a death trap,” says Woodbury Fire Chief Christopher Burke.

Burke and his department members respond to many of these calls.

“I could probably point out a dozen locations where we’ve had bad accidents on this road and it’s always the same story: speed and distracted driving,” Burke says.

A multivehicle crash on Route 6 in Woodbury killed one person earlier this month.

“This is a traffic safety crisis. When you have people being seriously injured on a monthly basis or every few weeks, that just shows there's need for real concerted effort to bring those numbers down,” says Alec Slatky, AAA spokesperson.

Woodbury Mayor Andrew Giacomazza says more than 10% of the fire department’s calls this year are for motor vehicle accidents on Route 6 and that the small community can’t fix the issues on its own.

“Route 6 is a critical road for our community, providing access to thousands of commuters to and from New York City each day,” Giacomazza says. “The conditions up there are unacceptable, and our community is urging the State DOT and Gov. Hochul to come up with a plan to reduce the number of accidents and emergencies.”

A representative for the state Department of Transportation says they’re looking at ways to improve safety.

“Safety is always the top priority of the New York State Department of Transportation, and the department is studying the U.S. Route 6 corridor in Orange County for potential enhancements,” says Public Information Officer Heather Pillsworth.

Burke says many of the crashes could be avoided if a barrier was installed between the lanes.

“There’s got to be a solution. This is not a fire department or EMS issue. It’s a person issue. We all drive these roads,” Burke says.

News 12 is continuing to probe the local impacts of these crashes. Anyone affected can contact Blaise Gomez by email at bdgomez@news12.com.