Police Identify Piermont Man Who Died in 'Tragic Accident'

Authorities have released the name of the man early Sunday morning in Piermont.

Samuel Mason, a 42-year-old Piermont resident who lived at 27 Ritie St., was behind the wheel when his vehicle crashed into a retaining wall on Hudson Terrace at about 2:30 a.m. and caught fire. Flames inundated the vehicle; firefighters responded and put out the fire shortly afterward.

The spot, a small area with parking enough for one car, is now closed off with police tape and DPW road blocks. The wood portion of the retaining wall is charred heavily, and burned materials litter the ground.

Mason's apartment was nearby, just up a short set of stairs.

"Right now, the preliminary is we have a tragic accident," said Michael O'Shea, Piermont's chief of police. "It was a possible mechanic malfunction—we still have a lot of questions to answer."

The medical examiner's office is currently conducting an investigation, and police are awaiting results. There is still no conclusive answer to what caused the accident and consequent blaze—or why Mason was not able to flee the scene.

Piermont detectives, Orangetown Police and the Rockland Sheriff's Department are also investigating, O'Shea said.