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The Greene County incident happened at around 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, on State Route 9W in Catskill.
New York State Police said Thomas Konow, age 61, of Claverack in Columbia County, was driving a GMC SUV southbound on SR 9W when the vehicle left the roadway, struck the wall of a railroad overpass, and caught fire.
Emergency crews arrived to find the vehicle on its side and engulfed in flames with Konow trapped inside.
Three good Samaritans tried to free the man before fire crews arrived on scene, but the fire consumed the vehicle before they could free him, according to the Catskill Fire Company.
“We want to thank those three locals who gave a stranger the best chance at survival,” the agency said on Facebook. “That’s all anyone can do in that situation if they step up. That in itself is heroic despite the outcome. “
Konow, the SUV’s sole occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Meanwhile, tributes were coming in for Konow, a College of Saint Rose graduate and violinist who once performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
He was slated to play "country fiddle" alongside other musicians each Friday this summer at Riedlbauer's Resort in Round Top, according to his Facebook profile.
"I am devastated to hear this news," Frank Dianda wrote on Facebook. "Rest in peace you talented soul."
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