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Two tragic accidents occurred on State Route 209 in Ulster County on Monday (September 1), resulting in two fatalities within a span of just 30 minutes. The New York State Police are investigating both incidents.
The first accident happened around 5:30 p.m. in Hurley. A 2019 Mercedes-Benz, driven by Hawanatu I. Deen-Ayers of Middletown, attempted to pass another vehicle by crossing into the northbound lane. Simultaneously, a 2021 Ford pickup truck, driven by David W. Lincoln of Accord, was traveling northbound. Both vehicles veered onto the eastern shoulder to avoid a collision but ended up colliding head-on. Sierra Fatima Koren Thornton, a 25-year-old passenger in the Mercedes-Benz, was trapped inside the vehicle. Emergency personnel extricated her, but she later died from her injuries at Kingston Health Alliance Hospital. Deen-Ayers, Lincoln, and a passenger from the Ford truck sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to Times Union.
Approximately 40 minutes later, a second fatal accident occurred 20 miles west on the same road in Rochester. Timothy Avery, a 58-year-old motorcyclist from Kerhonkson, was riding a 2003 Harley-Davidson when, for unknown reasons, the motorcycle left the roadway and entered a wooded area. Avery was pronounced dead at the scene, as reported by Hudson Valley Country.
Both accidents are under investigation, and authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the New York State Police in Middletown at 845-344-5300. The road was closed for approximately five hours following the incidents, according to New York State Police.