6 people hurt, including elderly woman, in apparent wrong-way crash on Hutchinson River Parkway
RYE BROOK, Westchester County (WABC) -- A wrong-way car crash on the Hutchinson River Parkway injured six people early Monday morning, including an elderly woman who suffered serious injuries.
The crash happened in the northbound lanes near Lincoln Avenue in Rye Brook just after midnight.
A preliminary investigation by police found that 75-year-old Joan Feinstein, traveling in the wrong direction smashed into another vehicle carrying a family of five people.
Feinstein suffered life-threatening injuries, but authorities believe she will survive, police said.
"She had serious lower extremity injuries and serious internal injuries at the time," Chief James Luciano of Westchester Police said.
The family including two adults from New Haven and their children ages 12,17 and 25 were taken to Westchester Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Chief Luciano described the exit ramp signage at the crash scene as 'adequate.'
People who often drive the Hutchinson River Parkway explained how such a mistake can happen.
"I feel like sometimes if it's very dark at night, like if you have weather like this, it doesn't help at all. But I think also you have to be paying attention," driver Jennifer Ojito said.
"Even when I am going in the right way you can see them, so I am like, am I going the right way? And, I don't know, I feel like there would be a light arrow might be something even better," driver Nancy Strong said.
Traffic safety experts in Connecticut agree.
The State DOT recently upgraded its wrong-way warning system along I-95 with sensors that trigger flashing lights and a mounted camera to record the driver's activity.
The Westchester County Executive George Latimer says that sounds good, however, "This area of the country between New Jersey, Connecticut and New York have parkways that are limited access highways but they aren't as engineered the way that an interstate highway is."
Traffic in the crash area resumed around 7 a.m. after being diverted to the Lincoln Avenue exit throughout the night and early commute.
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