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It happened at around 11:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 8 in Dutchess County on the Shunpike between Route 44 and Kennels Road in the town of Washington.
The car, a Toyota sedan, went off the roadway and into the tree, before becoming engulfed in flames, State Police from the Poughkeepsie barracks said.
An initial investigation revealed James M. Ruiz, 28, of Amenia, was operating the Toyota sedan went it went off the roadway for unknown reasons.
The victim, passenger, Jeremy L. Annis, also of Amenia, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Dutchess County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Ruiz was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center by Life Net Air 2 in critical condition.
The Amenia Fire Department, Millbrook Fire Department, and Northern Dutchess Paramedics, and the Troop K Collision Reconstruction Unit also responded to the scene to assist the victims.
The Shunpike was reopened at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9.
This investigation remains ongoing.
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