An Albany man was killed yesterday after he was hit by a truck in Nanuet. Clarkstown Police say 44 year-old Khurram Shahzad was driving westbound on Prospect Street when the truck stalled. He put it in park, got out and asked his friend, who was following him in another car, to help him back the truck onto a side street. The truck rolled back into Shahzad, causing the fatal injuries. The friend remained on-scene. Clarkstown Police ask witnesses to contact them at 845-639-5800.
Breaking News
Rockland Highway Departments Prepare for Winter, As This Morning’s Storm Mostly Fizzles
The first major winter storm of the season expected to hit Rockland this morning has so far turned out to be a dud. Rockland Sheriff Lou Falco says area highway departments are prepared for anything this time of year, and coordinate with each other well to keep the roadways as safe as possible…
O&R has activated the company’s emergency response workforce, as potentially damaging winds are expected to come through our area today packing speeds up to 20 miles-per-hour with gusts up to 50. The team consists of overhead line crews, tree removal experts, customer service operators, and others prepared to respond to emergencies throughout the storm.
News Briefs: Couple Sentenced in New City Murder, Fatal Car Crash Impacts Tuesday Commute
A New City couple was sentenced yesterday after pleading guilty to killing the man’s grandfather nearly two years ago. Rockland County District Attorney Tom Walsh says 32 year-old Constantinos Doonan pleaded guilty to second degree murder in the killing of his grandfather, 85 year-old Constantinos Mastakouris, who was found after a welfare check, strangled to death in his Ruth Drive home. Walsh says 26 year-old Jo-Ann Haughey pleaded guilty to first degree Manslaughter in connection with the case. Doonan got 20 years to life while Haughey got fifteen years. Walsh says after they wrapped Mastakouris’ body in a tablecloth and kiddie swimming pool, they hid him in the crawl space of the home they lived in, then took his car, some jewelry, and a credit card.
Car Crashes, One Fatal, Impact Tuesday Morning Commute
Two crashes during yesterday morning’s commute, one of them fatal, caused extra delays for drivers in the Hudson Valley. A portion of the southbound New York State Thruway was temporarily shut down yesterday morning after a crash in Hillburn. DailyVoice.com says no one was seriously injured after a speeding car caused a crash that involved two tractor-trailers during the morning rush hour. Washingtonville resident Joseph Bonomi was reportedly issued violations for speeding and “moving from the lane unsafely.” He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Westchester Medical Center. And in Westchester, an unidentified driver was pronounced dead at the scene after a one-car crash on the southbound Hutchinson River Parkway in Eastchester early Tuesday morning. That’s according to News 12. It happened around 3am when the southbound car went off the road and hit an electrical utility box near Mill Road.
Report: U.S.-born Israeli Military Officer with Ties to Nyack Confirmed as Victim of October 7th Terror Attack in Israel
A U.S.-born Israeli military officer who had ties right here in Rockland has been confirmed as one of the fatalities in last year’s October 7th terror attack in Israel. That’s according to The Journal News. It was believed that Omer Neutra was still being held hostage, but officials have now confirmed he was killed in the attack on a music festival in Israel. He grew up on Long Island but spent summers at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack. On social media, his colleagues from Camp Ramah said “There are no words to express the heartbreak we feel” about his death. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said yesterday that U.S. flags on New York buildings would be flown at half-staff today, to coincide with funeral services being held on Long Island. Neutra was 21 years old.
News Briefs: Arrests Made in Shots-Fired Incident, Body Found in Chestnut Ridge Park, Man Arrested for DWI in Sloatsburg
Two Hudson Valley men have been arrested and charged in connection to a shots-fired incident late last month in Hillcrest. Ramapo Police say a 22 year-old from Yonkers and a 19 year-old from Newburgh were charged with Attempted Murder, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Reckless Endangerment and Conspiracy for last Monday’s incident on East Eckerson Road. Police say at least nine shots were fired from a passing vehicle, though none of the shots appears to have hit anyone. The unidentified suspects were arraigned in Ramapo Town Court. No additional details were available and the incident remains under investigation. If you have any information regarding the incident contact the Ramapo Police Department Investigations Division at 845-357-2400.
Body Found in Chestnut Ridge
Ramapo Police were looking for clues after a body was found in a local park. That’s according to News 12. The body was found Friday at Children’s Park in Chestnut Ridge. Police have reportedly been using metal detectors to search through the leaves on a trail in the park and a creek that runs through it. No other information was available.
Bronx Man Charged with DWI in Sloatsburg
A Bronx man was arrested in Rockland last week and charged with driving while intoxicated with a child in the car. New York State Thruway Police from Tarrytown say 45 year-old Genaro Garcia-Cortes of the Bronx was in violation of Leandra’s Law when they spotted him around 3AM November 24th in a Nissan pick-up truck parked with its headlights on at the Ramapo Service Area. They encountered him apparently sleeping in the driver’s seat, smelling of alcohol, keys in the ignition and an empty beer bottle in the front cup holder. They also found a ten year-old girl in the car. Garcia-Cortes was arrested and after testing him at the Tarrytown barracks, police say he had a blood-alcohol content of .15 percent. He was processed, issued traffic tickets, and he is due back Sloatsburg Village Court next month.