Man Collapses Behind Wheel and Causes Accident in Hudson Valley

Police say a man suffering from a medical emergency caused an accident on a busy stretch of Route 9W.

A 911 call was made on Wednesday, June 28, alerting police to a crash involving two vehicles in Ulster County. According to the call, the two cars had collided on Route 9W in the Village of Saugerties. While this situation sounds pretty scary, the reason for the collision is even more terrifying.

After arriving on the scene, members of the Saugerties Police Department say they found two vehicles that collided with each other. While one of the drivers was able to exit the vehicle on their own, police say that the other car was still occupied by its driver. Upon further investigation, the driver was discovered to be unconscious.

Paramedics were called in to treat the driver at the scene who was later identified as  76-year-old Joseph Patterson from Clearmont Avenue in Manhattan. Police say their investigation showed that Patterson was driving a 2020 Subaru Forrester north on Route 9W when he apparently suffered a "medical emergency" that caused him to lose control of his vehicle.

The police report says car hit a bridge guardrail before swerving into oncoming traffic, ultimately crashing into a 2019 Hyundai Kona. The Hyundai was being driven by Alexandra Richard of Saugerties. The 21-year-old was reportedly not injured in the crash.

Patterson was found unresponsive at the scene and was transported to Health Alliance Hospital in Kingston. On late Wednesday the 76-year-old was still listed in critical condition.