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Collision on Rte 9 Leaves One Dead, Two Seriously Injured
Local model train expert, Fadde, hurt in Garrison Accident
by Maria Theodore Leiter
A tragic head-on collision on Route 9 in Garrison in the morning of February 8, 2007 led to one fatality and left two people seriously injured. The accident took place just south of Papa John's restaurant.
John Delehanty, 32, of Hopewell Junction died in the crash after being trapped in his Hyundai Elantra. According to a Sheriff's report, his southbound vehicle swerved into the northbound lane and collided with a 1999 Dodge Dakota pick-up.
North Highlands Volunteer Fire Department Deputy Chief John Noschese told the PCN&R that the man was dead upon arrival of the fire department. The coroner's office pronounced the man dead on the scene.
The NHFD responded to the mutual aid call from the Garrison Volunteer Fire Department, which had a rescue truck in service at the time. NHFD firefighters went to work on extracting April Pearse, a 45-year-old Briarcliff Manor woman, the driver of the pick-up, who was trapped in her seat.
"It was a tough extraction," reported Noschese. "The truck was on its roof. The guys had to work on their backs and use tools to cut the dash[board] out. But, she was a trooper. She was conscious and she did not make a peep."
The woman, who suffered life-threatening injuries, was aided by an off-duty StatFlite Medic, who came upon the scene before emergency workers arrived. The off-duty medic was soon joined by paramedics from Empire Paramedics.
"If not for the off-duty medic attending her, the woman would have expired," said Garrison Fire Chief Rodney Tudor. After she was removed from the vehicle, she was taken by GVAC to a landing site at Papa John's, where a StatFlite helicopter airlifted her to Westchester Medical Center.
Her 22-year-old son, Lee W. Compton, who had exited the truck on his own, was walking around and did not appear to be seriously injured, according to Noschese. He was transported to Hudson Valley Medical Center. However, later reports indicated that his injuries were greater than they first appeared, and he was transferred to the WMC trauma center, where he remained in critical, but stable condition.
Besides the North Highlands and Garrison fire departments, also assisting the Sheriff's deputies and investigators at the scene were state troopers, the Garrison and Philipstown Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Empire Paramedics. Both lanes of Route 9 were closed for the two-hour investigation. The Cold Spring and Continental Village fire departments assisted with road closure.
Unfortunately, GVFD responded to a second call for a serious accident later that evening. It took place on Upper Station Road. Harry Fadde, 77, coowner of Hudson Valley Trains in Cold Spring and father of Cathryn Fadde of Cathryn's Tuscan Grill, was taken by helicopter to the Westchester Medical Center. Icy conditions caused Mr. Fadde to lose control and drive into a tree. Mr. Fadde sustained most of his injuries to his face, which hit the steering wheel.
Ms. Fadde said that she was very upset over the fact that the airbag in his 2004 Cadillac DeVille did not deploy. "I would hate to think that someone else in a more serious accident could get killed because of it."
Ms. Fadde reported that her father was doing much better as of Monday and was expected to be taken out of the ICU later that day and possibly to be released by the end of the week.
"He's unbelievable," she said. "Every time I see him, he gets better and better." His store, Hudson Valley Trains, will be closed during the week. It will be opened on the weekend, however.
Black ice was blamed for another accident that took place on February 1 at 7:23 in the morning on Route 301, one mile east of Route 9. The NHFD responded to the collision that resulted in two vehicles rolling over, one of which trapped the male driver in his seat. The driver had to be extracted from the car through the roof. Fortunately, he seemed to suffer only minor injuries, but was transported to the Hudson Valley Hospital Center by the Philipstown Volunteer Ambulance Corp.
The female driver of the second vehicle managed to get out of the car and appeared unhurt. The road was shut down for an hour until the area could be sanded and salted.
GVFD also responded to two calls for activated carbon monoxide detectors last week, both of which were negative. They also were called to a chimney fire at a house on Route 9D. The fire was contained to the chimney. The NHFD also responded to a chimney incident at 93 Trout Brood Road. The fire in the hearth was extinguished and the homeowners were instructed to have the fireplace inspected. The CSFD responded to two false alarms. They also responded to the Upper Station Road accident, where they used their engine to mark the landing for the StatFlite landing.
The Putnam Valley Fire Department responded to an accident at the Taconic State Parkway on February 2. At 6:26am, on the northbound lane south of Route 301, a two car collision resulted in one patient being transported to HVHC with reported back pain. A vehicle roll-over accident on the TSP on February 4, also south of Route 301, resulted in one injury. The patient, who complained of pains, was transported by Putnam Valley Volunteer Ambulance Corp. to HVHC.
On February 10, the PVFD was called to two accidents on local roads; one on Mill Street resulted in property damage, but no injuries. A second at Bryant Pond Road, at the TSP ramp, led to one patient being transported to Putnam Hospital Center by PVVAC.
The PVFD put out a storage shed fire on West Shore Drive on February 9. They also responded to several calls that were either unfounded or faulty alarms.
The Garrison Volunteer Ambulance Corp. reported 7 calls so far in February, five of them were minor medical calls and two were automobile accidents.
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