Late Friday night, March 29, police and ambulance sirens pierced the New Paltz air following a severe, two-car crash at the intersection of Henry W. Dubois Drive and N. Oakwood Terrace.
Four men were hospitalized and one 25-year-old New Paltz man died at the scene.
Nineteen-year-old Abram Almahri of New Paltz was driving a 2008 Volvo S40 westbound on Henry W. Dubois Drive when he rear-ended a 2012 Toyota Scion XD that was stopped at a stop sign, New York State (NYS) police said.
The sheer impact caused the Toyota to spin around in the roadway and go backwards off the north shoulder of Henry W. Dubois Drive. The Volvo then continued west and crossed the roadway to the south shoulder, striking a rock embankment and causing the vehicle to overturn and hit a tree.
An anonymous SUNY New Paltz student witnessed the Volvo go airborne and made the 911 call. At around 10:33 p.m., NYS troopers reported to the accident.
Almahri was transported to Mid Hudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie with head and arm trauma. The two passengers in the Volvo: Walter Morales-Duarte of New Paltz, age 22, was brought to Vassar Hospital in Poughkeepsie with internal injuries, and James Davis, age 22 of Poughkeepsie, was transported to Mid Hudson Regional Hospital with head trauma.
The driver of the Toyota, 43-year-old Charlie Rodriguez of Highland, was brought to Vassar Hospital.
Jade Randazzo, the third passenger in the Volvo, was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation into the crash and possible contributing factors is underway, said state police spokesman Trooper Steven Nevel to the Poughkeepsie Journal.
Randazzo’s Facebook page flooded with posts from loved ones—reflecting upon how he blessed their lives, reminiscing in the memories with him and regretting the loss of a person so genuine and full of love.
“I would like to say how grateful I am to all my friends and family during this heartbreaking time. I have truly felt all the love and the importance of friendships,” wrote Tina Mazzetti, Randazzo’s aunt, on Facebook. “This tragedy has taken a toll on my family but we will all get threw this together.”
On March 30, a day after the tragic accident, Mazzetti created a GoFundMe with the goal of $6,500 to assist with funeral expenses for the family. With nearly 700 shares through social media, the New Paltz community came together to raise $7,965.
“There will be a special place in my heart for each of you,” Mazzetti wrote on the GoFundMe page. “We are no longer accepting donations for this fund. If you would like to donate and did not have an opportunity, please make a donation in the charity of your choice in my nephew’s name.”
The investigation of the fatal car accident is still ongoing. An update on the condition of the four injured men was not attainable before print.
