ULSTER COUNTY, N.Y. — State Police are investigating two separate fatal crashes that happened less than an hour apart Monday evening on U.S. Route 209 in Ulster County.
The first crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. in the town of Hurley, when a 2019 Mercedes-Benz traveling south attempted to pass another vehicle. At the same time, a 2021 Ford pickup truck traveling north also tried to pass. Both drivers swerved onto the eastern shoulder to avoid impact but collided head-on.
Sierra Fatima Koren Thornton, 25, of Middletown, a passenger in the Mercedes, was trapped inside and had to be extricated. She was taken to HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston, where she died of her injuries. The Ford’s driver and passenger were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
About 40 minutes later and 20 miles west, troopers responded to a motorcycle crash in the town of Rochester. A 2003 Harley-Davidson left the roadway and struck a wooded area. The rider, Timothy Avery, 58, of Kerhonkson, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Both crashes remain under investigation. Witnesses are urged to contact State Police in Middletown at 845-344-5300.
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