New Fairfield Chef Struck, Killed In NY Accident: Police

A New Fairfield chef was killed Tuesday evening when he was struck by a vehicle while walking in New York, according to the local sheriff’s department.

Sgt. Michael DiVeglio, public information officer for the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, identified the pedestrian as Michael S. Frick, 35, of New Fairfield.

Frick was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to DiVeglio.

The accident happened on Oct. 20 around 8:09 p.m. at the intersection of State Route 22 and State Route 164 in Patterson.

The driver of the vehicle, a Toyota four-door sedan, remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, according to DiVeglio.

DiVeglio on Thursday confirmed the pedestrian is the same person who was the beneficiary of a recent GoFundMe campaign, which aimed to help Frick after he recovered from a prior accident in August.

Frick was the owner of the business Saltxthyme, which has provided private chef and catering services to Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven counties.

According to the fundraiser, Frick had been involved in a severe auto accident on Aug. 30, which left him with a collapsed lung, broken ribs, and a fractured sternum. It said he faced a “long and painful recovery” from the August accident. He had been unable to work because of the extent of his injuries, the campaign states. The fundraiser, which as of Thursday had raised $17,467 toward a $40,000 goal, aimed to cover medical expenses and cost of living during his recovery.

“Michael is the kind of person who pours care into everything he does, and so many people in town have experienced that firsthand through the weddings, gatherings, and special events he has so beautifully catered,” the campaign says.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Crime Scene Unit, along with the New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit, are continuing to investigate Tuesday’s fatal accident.