Police Seek Witnesses to Route 303 Accident

The Orangetown Police Department Accident Investigation Team is seeking anyone who may have witnessed a three-car crash that injured 5 people on Route 303 on Saturday night.

A car driven by a 17-year-old New Jersey resident veered into on-coming traffic and was hit by two other cars at 7:33 p.m. in Blauvelt just north of the Rockland Toyota dealership. 

Police said the teen driver, a resident of Haworth, NJ, lost control of a 2004 Hyundai Elantra sedan while in the left, northbound lane. The car was struck by two southbound vehicles. The driver and his two passengers, both 17, were injured.

A back seat passenger in the Hyundai sustained a serious head injury and was left unconscious. The front passenger was unconscious and sustained a broken nose and a laceration over his right eye. The driver sustained minor scrapes on his left forearm and bruising to left chest from the seatbelt. 

The rear seat passenger was taken to Nyack Hospital by members of South Orangeotwn Ambulance Corps and was then taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where police said the passenger was in critical condition.

The other passenger and the driver were taken to Nyack Hospital by Nyack Community Ambulance Corps and South Orangetown Ambulance. They were both treated and later released from the hospital.

The two drivers of the southbound vehicles sustained minor injuries and were also taken to Nyack Hospital and Westchester Medical Center, where they were treated and released.  

Orangetown police said the cause of the accident is still under investigation and anyone who saw the crash is asked to call the Orangetown police at 845-359-3700; ask for Police Officer Palazolo or Police Officer Johnson.