Tappan Zee Bridge Accident: Elderly Wrong-Way Driver Leaves 1 Dead, 3 Injured [VIDEO]
A wrong-way driver going south in the northbound lane of the Tappan Zee Bridge caused a five car pile-up that left one person dead and four injured this past Tuesday night. Police said Michael Schechel, 69, was travelling the wrong way in his white SUV on the busy New York interstate when he struck a Nissan head on, killing 56-year-old Hannah Ayeh-Brachie.
Schechel and his wife Luz Hoffman, 56, were transported to Westchester Medical Center along with the driver of the Nissan, Newman Ayeh-Brachie. All are considered to have non-life-threatening injuries. As of now, police have not filed any charges against Schechel.
Investigators are unsure what caused Schechel, who was interviewed at the scene, to head down the wrong way. Hospital workers took a sample of his blood, and police said there was nothing to indicate that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the Journal News reported.
According to reports, the impact of the two vehicles' head-on collision caused the Nissan to flip multiple times before settling upside down in the middle lane. Three other vehicles were involved with the crash after trying to avoid the accident.
State troopers were forced to close the northbound lane in order to deal with the wreckage, causing standstill traffic on both sides of highway. The lane was opened again at around 4 a.m. Wednesday morning after emergency responders acted quickly throughout the night.