Woman in New York State Killed in Freak Accident On Way To See Eclipse
A freak accident claimed the life of a woman from New York, who was traveling upstate with family to see Monday's solar eclipse.
State Police and other law enforcement agencies had issued travel warnings in anticipation of the event, though officials say this accident did not involve another vehicle at the time.
According to sources, the accident occurred Saturday during the final 20 minutes of the trip.
As hundreds of thousands flocked towards the western part of New York state, one New York family planned to stay in an Airbnb in Cape Vincent to catch the total solar eclipse.
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The New York Post says that 58-year-old Dr. Monika Woroniecka was riding inside an Airstream trailer that was being pulled by a pickup truck when State Police said the door of the trailer suddenly swung open on State Route 12K in Watertown.
Sadly, the accident could have been preventable.
Woroniecka and her daughter had been riding in the pickup with her husband before the family made a stop at a Stewart’s in Brownville for food, says police.
Perhaps tired, the mother of three then decided to lay down on a bed, that was located near the rear of the house trailer, says officials. According to NBC, witnesses told officials they "saw the passenger side door of the Airstream open" and "Woroniecka's arm hanging on it after a strong wind".
It was at that point, the woman was tragically thrown from the moving camper and hit her head on the shoulder of the road.
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NBC says that Woroniecka worked at Stony Brook Medicine's Pediatric Allergy and Immunology department.
New York State Police say their investigation is continuing. State Police said that Cape Vincent Ambulance transported Monika to Samaritan Medical Center’s Emergency Room where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased.
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Gallery Credit: Traci Taylor