A U-Haul box truck barreled into the back of a marked New York State Police cruiser parked on the shoulder of Route 17 westbound near Exit 130A late Tuesday, September 8, shoving that vehicle into a second patrol car and sending two troopers to the hospital. Both cruisers were unoccupied at the time, but their emergency lights were flashing as troopers worked an investigation nearby.
According to New York State Police, the crash happened at approximately 11:22 p.m. in the Town of Woodbury, Orange County. The impact from the U-Haul pushed one parked cruiser into the other, according to Daily Voice. Both troopers were taken to Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown for evaluation, and police reported no other injuries.
The cited reports do not detail charges or citations in connection with the crash. Open questions remain, including whether driver fatigue, impairment, or distraction contributed to the collision, and whether Move Over charges will follow once the investigation concludes.
A Notoriously Busy Stretch of Highway
The crash site sits along Route 17 near Exit 130A. The available reports do not provide traffic-volume data or characterize Exit 130A's role in the area.
The supplied reports do not detail a prior collision near Exit 120 in nearby Wallkill or provide information about Troop F collision reconstruction units in connection with such a crash.
State's Move Over Law Applies to All Shoulder Vehicles
New York's Move Over Law, codified under Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1144-a, requires drivers approaching stationary emergency vehicles with flashing lights to change lanes or slow down, facing three points on their license and fines that can reach $450, according to Ronald S. Cook, PC. New York tracks those points over a 24-month look-back window.
The law's scope was broadened in March 2024 to require motorists to slow down and move over for any vehicle stopped on a highway shoulder, including ordinary civilian passenger cars, not just emergency or maintenance vehicles, according to the Law Office of Brian Berkowitz. State Senator Michelle Hinchey introduced legislation in January 2026 proposing to raise Move Over Law penalties from a two- or three-point offense to five points, citing over 320 work zone intrusions statewide in 2024, according to the Post-Journal.
Troopers Treated at Regional Trauma Center
Garnet Health Medical Center is where both troopers were taken for evaluation. The troopers involved are New York State Police.
The cited reports do not provide details about statewide enforcement or a ticket total for the period preceding the crash. The cited reports also do not detail a previous interchange reconfiguration project at nearby Exit 131.
