71°
CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. UPDATE 5:07 PM A Westchester County Police officer was injured when a sleeping driver caused a three-car-crash in Croton Friday morning. The Westchester County Police officer was on the right shoulder of the road conducting a traffic stop, at 10:34 a.m., when the driver slammed into the back of the patrol car. The police officer was transported to Westchester Medical Center with neck and back pain, according to Westchester County Police Information Officer Kieran OLeary.
The police officer, Curt Meinel, was conducting a traffic stop on Route 9 northbound on the Croton Bridge between Ossining and Croton. Meinels patrol car was on the right shoulder of the highway when Scott Gershenson, 50, of Maple Crest Drive, Peekskill slammed into the back of the patrol car with the officer inside. Gershensen was driving a blue, 2001 Izuzu Trooper. Police said Gershensen fell asleep at the wheel after working an overnight shift.
The initial crash caused Meinels patrol car to hit the vehicle involved in the traffic stop, a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse driven by Lester McPhail, 49, of the Bronx. McPhail was not injured and police said the second crash caused only minor damage to McPhails car.
The accident brought all lanes of Route 9 northbound to an abrupt hault. Police had one traffic lane in operation at approximately 11:30 a.m., while they investigated the crash.
Nick Louros, a paid emergency medical technician for Croton, said the officer "was complaining of neck pain, knee pain, back pain, upon EMTs arrival. "He was still in the car when we got there," he said.
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino is set to visit the officer in the medical center in the early evening.
Gershenson was issued summonses for driving on the shoulder and failure to maintain lane of travel, as well as for violating the states Move Over Law, which requires motorists to move into the adjacent lane of travel or slow down when passing any emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the road.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Cortlandt and receive free news updates.
