Fire Chief Saves the Day From Wrong-Way Driver Chaos

A fire chief in Dutchess County, NY is being credited with stopping a wrong-way driver on Interstate 84, preventing what could have been a catastrophic accident.

Over the years, we've shared numerous stories involving wrong-way drivers on roads across New York State. Unfortunately, the majority of those stories end in tragedy, similar to what happened earlier this month in Upstate New York.

Thankfully, a similar tragedy was averted last week on I-84, thanks to the quick thinking of a fire chief in Dutchess County, NY

Fire Chief Stops Wrong-Way Driver in Dutchess County, NY

According to a City of Beacon press release, it all unfolded at approximately 8:15 a.m. on Friday, October 31st, 2025, when City of Beacon Fire Chief Tom Lucchesi was driving eastbound on I-84 near Lime Kiln Road in the Town of East Fishkill when he observed a vehicle traveling directly toward him, in the wrong direction.

Chief Lucchesi, who was returning from Hopewell Fire Equipment, said he observed the vehicle traveling directly toward oncoming traffic and that multiple vehicles, including several tractor-trailers, were forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

"It’s not often that my heart drops and my adrenaline spikes outside of a fire scene," Chief Lucchesi said. "As I rounded a curve, I suddenly saw a car coming straight at me. Vehicles were swerving everywhere to avoid her."

Recognizing the imminent danger, Chief Lucchesi activated his emergency lights and siren, turned around, and pursued the wrong-way vehicle to try and get it stopped safely.

Tragedy Averted in East Fishkill, NY

Once Lucchesi was able to catch up, he positioned his vehicle ahead of the driver and was able to bring the vehicle to a stop without incident near the Lime Kiln Road area. The driver, an elderly woman who appeared disoriented, told Lucchesi that she had made a wrong turn.

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Lucchesi immediately contacted Dutchess County 911, who confirmed they had already received multiple calls reporting the wrong-way driver. New York State Police units arrived several minutes later and took over the scene.

“It’s a reminder of how quickly things can go wrong on the road,” Lucchesi added. “Thankfully, no one was injured, and the situation was resolved safely.”

The incident caused brief traffic disruptions on the westbound side of I-84 but was cleared quickly once the driver and vehicle were safely removed from the roadway.

Beacon, NY, Mayor Thanks Chief

City of Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou publicly thanked Chief Lucchesi, saying,

"The Chief’s quick thinking and courageous action likely saved one or more lives today, and the City of Beacon is fortunate to have a Fire Chief who always goes above and beyond to help others. Job well, done, Chief Lucchesi."

 

Great job, Chief!