A two-vehicle crash on northbound Interstate 95 in Port Chester left one person dead and another injured before dawn Monday, shutting down a lane of the busy corridor for more than five hours. New York State Police say the crash happened near mile marker 14.8 and was reported at approximately 5:55 a.m.
Troopers have identified the two drivers involved as Pankaj Raj Bakshi, 50, of Floral Park, New York, and Marcos A. Robalino, 73, of Norwalk, Connecticut, according to Talk of the Sound. The crash occurred within the Village of Port Chester, on the stretch of I-95 that forms the final New York exit before the highway crosses into Connecticut, according to Wikipedia.
Lane Closure Snarled Monday Morning Traffic
The left northbound lane of I-95 remained closed through the initial emergency response, with all lanes reopened by roughly 11:30 a.m. Monday, per the state police account relayed through LegiStorm. The crash investigation is being handled by troopers out of the New Rochelle Thruway station, the report notes.
The stretch where the crash occurred falls within the New England Section of the New York State Thruway, a 15-mile toll corridor running from the Bronx to the Connecticut state line that is maintained by the New York State Thruway Authority. That corridor, and the rest of the 570-mile Thruway system, is patrolled by State Police Troop T, a unit with more than 300 members assigned exclusively to Thruway enforcement.
Second Deadly Crash on This Stretch Since August
This marks the second fatal crash on this stretch of I-95 within roughly a ten-week span. On August 2, two men — a 72-year-old and a 40-year-old, both from Queens — were struck and killed by a passing tractor-trailer while standing outside their disabled vehicle following a minor collision, according to Mid-Hudson News.
Fatal crashes have struck elsewhere along the broader regional corridor in recent weeks as well. Hoodline reported on a worker's death on I-95 in Fairfield, Connecticut, last month.
Investigation Still Pending
Because the crash resulted in a death, State Police are legally required to conduct a full collision investigation under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 603-a, a statute explained by the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe.
Troopers have identified both drivers and reopened the highway; the investigation remains pending. Interstate 95 crosses the eastern edges of Port Chester and connects to local streets via interchanges at Midland Avenue and U.S. Route 1, according to the Village of Port Chester.
