Three People Injured After Car Hits Tree and Shuts Down Rt. 55

Police have revealed why Route 55 was completely shut down in both directions for the entirety of the morning commute on Wednesday.

There were huge backups in Dutchess County yesterday morning after a large section of Route 55 was closed to traffic from the overnight hours through late morning. Traffic was snarled from Titusville Road through De Forest Road near the Be Wise Car Wash as commuters struggled to find alternate routes to work.

All that was initially reported was that a "serious accident" was to blame for the road closure. Now, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office is revealing more details about that serious motor vehicle accident that left three people injured. According to an ongoing investigation, the incident happened just after 3 am and closed both the eastbound and westbound lanes of Route 55 in Lagrange near Sedgewick Road until 9 am.

Authorities say they arrived on the scene of the early morning accident and found what appeared to be a one-car crash. According to investigators, the operator of a 2011 Honda Accord was driving westbound on Route 55 when it left the road and hit several trees. The front-seat passenger was ejected from the car and suffered serious injuries. That passenger has been identified as Samantha Mincey of Poughkeepsie.

The 31-year-old Dutchess County woman was rushed by ambulance to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital and later transferred to Westchester Medical Center. The driver and backseat passenger also received minor injuries that were treated locally. Police note that all occupants of the car were wearing seatbelts.

An investigation is ongoing, but the Sheriff's Department is blaming "driver fatigue" for the accident.