Millbrook School AD Killed in Route 44 Crash

The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) believes distracted driving led to a fatal Route 44 crash in the Town of Washington Saturday morning.

A car and a dump truck loaded with gravel collided head-on, killing Edward G. Allen, 32, of Millbrook, and injuring his two children, the DCSO said in a press release.

Allen's BMW X5 was traveling southwest on Route 44 when it crossed the center line near Bontecou Road and traveled into the truck's lane. The dump truck, which belonged to Bulldog Concrete of Poughquag, overturned, spilling the gravel onto the roadway.

Allen was pronounced dead at the scene. His two children, ages 3 and 1, were transported to Westchester Medical Center for treatment. One of the children suffered life-threatening injuries, according to the press release. The dump truck driver, 47-year-old Hopewell Junction resident Richard Colesanti, did not suffer any injuries.

A section of Route 44 was closed Saturday for a crash investigation. DCSO officers believe distracted driving on Allen's part led to the crash; cell phone use is not believed to have been the source of the distraction.

Allen was a math teacher and the athletic director at the Millbrook School, where he had worked since 2009.