Yonkers - Fatal MVA - 02-24-06

[INIT915 1,119]

Woman dies when car plunges into Yonkers reservoir

By WILL DAVID

wdavid@lohud.com

AND ROB RYSER

(Original publication: February 24, 2006)

YONKERS — Police divers have pulled a woman's body out of the Grassy Sprain Reservoir in Yonkers.

She was in a car when it crashed through the guard rail of the Sprain Brook Parkway and submerged in the water, Yonkers police said.

Her fiance, a Mount Vernon resident, escaped and summoned police, but it was too late.

Police said the call came in at about 6 a.m. The woman's body was pulled out about 7:35 a.m.

The driver, who was not identified, had walked to a nearby gas station, bloody and wet. He told police that his car crashed into the Yonkers reservoir while he traveling north on the Sprain Brook Parkway near Tuckahoe Road.

He said his fiancee was still in the car, Yonkers police Capt. Frank Messar said.

Tethered divers from the New York City police department and the Yonkers police department searched in the icy water while the Sprain's left and center lanes remained closed.

A Westchester County police helicopter was dispatched to Yonkers to help, police said.

The driver was taken to the hospital. Details about his condition were not immediately available.

[Guest]

credit: WABC TV New York

[Truck4 48]

A vehicle travelling northbound went off highway and into the water. The male driver freed himself from the vehicle and swam to shore. He walked along the highway, reportedly trying to stop passing motorists for help to no avail. He walked to the BP gas station on Tuckahoe Rd. and asked the attendant to call police. First car that arrived called for ESU to respond to the highway, and found a possible entry point for the vehicle near the water. ESU requested divers on arrival.

Due to the time lapse between the car entering the water and the first notification to Police, this operation unfortunately shifted from rescue to recovery in a short period of time. The car was located with the assistance of aviation units. The vehicle also sustained damage to the roof, which impacted into the passenger compartment, entrapping the victim.

[Dr. Zuki 1]

Which PD sent the divers? NYPD or County?

Also, why wasn't YFD involved on this job???

I am guessing that the driver was understandably disoriented and likely appeared to be intoxicated and hence nobody called for help unfortunately....this is a good instance whereby the old emergency phones on telephone poles may have helped. Remember, not everybody has a cell phone, or in this case, couldn't use it, and there are other instances such as those involving the elderly or non English speaking foreigners who at least could pick up the phone theerby triggering a

" 911 Hang Up" call requiring a police response...look at how many young mugging victims have cell phone stolen.

I would have surely called....

Rest in Peace to the victim.

[Truck4 48]

Which PD sent the divers? NYPD or County?

Also, why wasn't YFD involved on this job???

NYPD ESU Divers. There is no County Police dive team. The YFD was not needed.

[HFD23 37]

NYPD ESU Divers. There is no County Police dive team. The YFD was not needed.

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WCPD does have alteast one Diver if not more, not necessarly a team, and a marine unit which are both resources in them selves.

[Oswegowind 17]

yeah, but NYPD divers are on the street aren't they, in their ESU trucks and therefore would be the easiest and fastest response? Most other teams are on call and that could result in an even longer delay...

Someone asked last night and the radio room lieutenant said this whole thing sounded like a "ted kennedy"...

from what i understand he did something similar...

[Guest]

Not for nothing, I can totally understand not having a chopper or even the boat being seasonal. For the life of me though, having several bodies of water a couple of them rather large (Hudson river, Hillview/Sprain reservoirs, the pond at Tibbets and Crestwood lake) why is it that our truck guys aren't dive certified? Perphaps Truck4 you can advise.

Getting dive qualified doesn't take that long. The EMT course probably takes longer. I think that there would be plenty of room in the new extended cabs to fit 3 or 4 SCUBA tanks plus a pair of wetsuits, BCs, fins and masks for rapid deployment. For a prolonged operations, one of the "spare" trucks could be outfitted with extra bottles and equipment and brought to the scene as a relief/support vehcile.

I wasn't working that night but how long was it from the time that the truck confirmed the job to the time that the divers were in the water?

I know that in Yonkers as with anywhere else, it isn't as simple as verbalizing ideas and things getting done. It is something to think about though.

[Oswegowind 17]

i know that the esu guys go through water training, but not dive? Thought that was part of the school. could put the scuba equip in the pick-up truck used by the marine unit...and keep the truck in a garage...when needed an avail sector car could report to the 1st desk to get keys and bring it where it is needed.

[Steve 78]

Does YFD/Rescue have any divers or scuba equipment?

[Guest]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Yorktown Heights have a dive team ??

[JohnnyOV 2]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Yorktown Heights have a dive team ??

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Yes we do.

[JohnnyOV 2]

Getting dive qualified doesn't take that long.  The EMT course probably takes longer.

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depends on the course you are talking about...regular open water cert takes about 3-4 weeks...twice a week couple hours a day, and depends also on how fast you gain the skills so roughlt 30-50 hours total. Then you have to go to advanced open water, which is 25 hours, then resuce diver which is another 25 hours...so your looking at around 80-100 hours of classroom / diveing experiance

http://padi.com/english/common/courses/faq.asp

Edited March 1, 2006 by EMSJunkie712