Mother and Daughter Injured After Jeep Plunges From Poughkeepsie Driveway Onto Route 9
A driving lesson took a dangerous turn on Sunday evening when a mother and daughter ended up hospitalized after their Jeep plunged about 30 feet off a cliff, landing squarely across Route 9. The single-vehicle accident occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m., bringing evening traffic to a standstill on Route 9 in the City of Poughkeepsie.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene just north of the Albany Avenue exit to find the vehicle positioned perpendicular to the road, blocking both northbound lanes. According to local officials, the mother and daughter were transported by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment.
Investigation Into the Poughkeepsie Driveway Accident
The sequence of events leading up to the fall remains under investigation by law enforcement. Investigators from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Accident Reconstruction Unit deployed a UAV (drone) to record an aerial view of the scene.
Initial information gathered from one of the occupants suggests that the Jeep was in the owner’s driveway on Albany Avenue while the mother was teaching the daughter to drive. Police believe the transmission was in “drive,” causing the vehicle to accelerate down the driveway and through the backyard before plunging about 30 feet and landing on Route 9.
The crash forced the closure of Route 9 northbound between Albany Avenue and Delafield Street for a few hours while emergency crews cleared the wreckage and investigators documented the scene. City of Poughkeepsie police ask anyone with information regarding the incident to contact their confidential tip line at 845-451-7577.
