Police identify NJ, NY victims in fatal Taconic State Parkway crash in New Castle
Preliminary investigation indicates a 2014 Ram ProMaster van driven by Yader A. Reyes, 50, of Long Branch, New Jersey, was traveling south May 14 on the Taconic when it crossed the median into the northbound lanes, a New York State Police news release said. The van collided head on with the 2024 Honda Accord driven by Robert Violante, 45, of Granite Springs, whose car was traveling in the northbound passing lane.
Taconic State Parkway accident: What we know now about May 14 fatal crash in Westchester
Three passengers in the Ram ProMaster, all men from New Jersey — Odenis Balladares Martinez, 20, of Neptune; Harrison Mauricio Reyes Rivera, 34, of Long Branch; and Bryan Aguilar Castillo, 45, of Asbury Park were —pronounced dead at the scene.
Violante, who was New Jersey's Bergenfield High School head football coach and a former star Somers High School athlete, was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to injuries and was pronounced dead, according to police,
Reyes, the van's driver, is in critical condition at Westchester Medical Center, the police said
Crash victim remembered: Bergenfield coach, former Somers HS athlete Rob Violante killed in Taconic crash
The crash's cause is unknown and the investigation is ongoing, police said Thursday.
Wednesday's crash, which occurred at mile marker 9.2 near exits 8 and 9, caused the van to overturn and catch fire, according to the police. A stretch of the Taconic was closed for hours after the crash and traffic was diverted off Exit 8.
The state police ask that anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who has relevant information to contact the police at 845-677-7300.
Contributing: lohud's Alexandra Rivera, Peter Carr, Ashley Fontones, and Jonathan Bandler; Darren Cooper of USA TODAY Network's NorthJersey.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Police ID 4 people killed, 1 injured in Taconic State Parkway crash
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