On February 13 at 4:32 p.m. Saugerties police responded to a 911 call reporting a motor vehicle crash with entrapment, in the area of 3780 Route 32 in the Town of Saugerties.
Investigation by police established that 75-year-old Patricia Laverty of Palenville was operating a 2002 Mazda Tribute South on Route 32, when the vehicle veered off the west shoulder of the roadway and struck several trees prior to coming to rest. Laverty, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was critically injured in the crash and had to be extricated from the vehicle by firefighters from the Saxton Fire Department. Laverty was treated at the scene by paramedics from DIAZ Ambulance and then flown from the scene via medic-vac helicopter to the Albany Medical Center, where Laverty remains in stable but serious condition. Route 32 was closed to traffic in both directions for over an hour, as police conducted their investigation into the cause of the crash. NYS Police assisted Saugerties police with traffic control.