Mid Hudson Bridge Crash Causes Travel Delays

Lloyd, NY (WCBS) — A motor vehicle accident on the Mid Hudson Bridge has caused significant delays for commuters traveling into or out of Poughkeepsie this morning. The incident happened on the eastbound side and state police are conducting their own investigation into its cause.

Police report that around 7 a.m., they saw a 2008 Audi A6 with North Carolina plates traveling at high speeds on the bridge. When they attempted to stop its driver, however, he failed to comply and crashed into multiple other vehicles including a 2004 BMW motorcycle, an SUV and Volkswagen Golf before eventually colliding into one another and plowing through them all before coming to rest in a field nearby. All drivers suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Mark Ashby, 50, from Accord, was killed during the crash. Tyzhan Catts, 23, from Poughkeepsie was not injured and arrested by state police for driving while under the influence of drugs.

State police believe Vaughan may have been fleeing from a stabbing incident in Poughkeepsie and attempted to escape by driving onto the Mid Hudson Bridge; they believe someone knew his identity and attempted to strike when Vaughan drove onto it; their investigation continues.

Established in 1925, this bridge is one of five operated by the New York State Bridge Authority and connects Ulster and Dutchess counties. To construct it, caissons were lowered into the riverbed before being pushed forward until hitting solid rock; after filling them with tremie concrete they were then filled back up by workers to complete bridge pier construction.

On August 25, 1930, the bridge was officially inaugurated with an elaborate dedication ceremony that included a parade, official ribbon cutting ceremony in Union Square and clambake and block dance festivities. Within one day of opening operations, 12,000 automobiles and 30,000 pedestrians passed over it; today it remains one of the busiest bridges in New York state connecting Hudson Valley with other areas.

Every weekday, thousands of motorists use the Mid Hudson Bridge. To reduce congestion on this busy bridge, New York State Bridge Authority has made efforts to ease traffic flow by adding an extra rush-hour lane and offering E-ZPass tickets as an alternative way for commuters. This bridge is also popularly utilized by cyclists and walkers, though there is a small fee associated with using it (most commuters pay through E-ZPass). Due to COVID-19 pandemic fears, during some periods the bridge was temporarily shut down to ensure safe conditions for cars and pedestrians alike. Reopened Monday afternoon due to a crash, the Mid Hudson Bridge reopened this morning after another incident occurred this morning and traffic on it backed up as far as Lloyd. Reopening took place shortly before 10 a.m. today and all incidents have since been cleared up; for more information visit the Mid Hudson Bridge website.