The truck driver who died after smashing his tractor-trailer into a popular lounge in Hyde Park may have been in two separate accidents right before his fatal crash, according to police.
Investigators say Allen Dickson, 33, of Hopewell Junction, was driving a truck owned by MJD Construction out of Pawling when he crashed into Juniors Lounge at 504 Salt Point Turnpike at 10:41 on Monday.
They say Dickson may have been in a hit-and-run crash in Poughkeepsie at the intersection of Weed and Smith streets before continuing onto Salt Point Turnpike.
Witnesses say he was driving erratically and crossed over into oncoming traffic several times on the roadway. Just before he got to Juniors Lounge, he collided with a 2021 Toyota Highlander driven by Kimberly Glatz of Hyde Park. The impact caused the Toyota to flip over. Glatz was taken to Vassar Hospital for evaluation but didn't appear to suffer any major injuries.
The collision with the Toyota apparently caused the truck to run off the road and slam into Juniors Lounge.
The crash heavily damaged the building and caused a partial collapse. Investigators say the building was being held up by the truck's fully loaded dump trailer.
The owner of Junior's Lounge, Louis Rossi, was inside at the time of the crash but was not injured.
Sarah Dempsey, a tenant who was sleeping in the front apartment upstairs, wound up outside, on top of the truck in her bed. She was brought to Mid-Hudson Regional with minor injuries.
The building was deemed unsafe by inspectors and has been torn down.
Dickson was declared dead at the scene. An official with MJD Construction say that Dickson had been with the company for about three weeks and that they are saddened by the loss of their driver.
The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.