2 State Troopers, Tow Drivers Injured When Car Plows Into Them

NORTH GREENBUSH, NY — New York State troopers were injured, along with a tow-truck driver, in an early morning crash Sunday caused by an alleged drunken driver. Troopers Brent Karow and Shane Swartz were dispatched in a fully marked patrol vehicle around 4 a.m. to a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 90 eastbound near Exit 8 in the Town of North Greenbush in Rensselaer County.

Around 4:21 a.m., they were at the scene and requested a tow truck to remove a 2011 Subaru from the median along the highway. Two tow operators in a tow truck arrived to remove the vehicle.

Police said flares were set in a pattern that closed the left lane of the three-lane highway and emergency lighting of the patrol vehicle and tow truck were active.

Rensselaer County 911 began receiving multiple calls about a crash involving a police vehicle on I-90 around 5:16 a.m. State Police dispatch was unable to contact the troopers and other units were sent to check on them.

The North Greenbush Town Police immediately responded and was first at the scene. When they arrived, they found the injured troopers and tow operators.

Both Karow and Swartz, along with Jeffery Waite Sr., one of the tow operators, and Christopher Neumann, the driver of the car that crashed into the others, were taken to Albany Medical Center, police said.

The investigation found that Neuman, 26,of Castleton, Rensselaer County, was driving a 2010 Mercury sedan and failed to move to the right of the first accident scene, colliding with the patrol car.

After hitting the troopers’ car, Neumann’s sedan continued on to strike both Karow, Swartz and Waite, police said.

Karow was thrown about 70 feet into the median. Swartz was thrown and trapped underneath the tow truck.

The other tow truck operator was hit by debris.

Karow, 34, a six-year veteran of the state police who works out of SP Guilderland, suffered multiple lacerations, fractures and internal injuries and is listed in serious but stable condition after surgery to control internal bleeding. He is currently in the ICU.

Swartz, 34, a four-year veteran of the state police who works out of SP Brunswick, also suffered multiple lacerations, fractures and internal injuries and is listed in serious but stable condition. He is undergoing surgery at this time that is expected to take six to seven hours.

Waite suffered a laceration to his head and was admitted to the hospital.

Neumann suffered a laceration on his face and other minor injuries and was treated and released.

He was charged with first-degree vehicular assault, driving while intoxicated and numerous other vehicle and traffic law violations.

Neumann was arraigned in the Town of North Greenbush Court and sent to the Rensselaer County Jail without bail. His next court appearance is set for March 9.

The following assisted the State Police: North Greenbush Police Department, Defreestville Fire Department, state Department of Transportation, Albany Medical Center and Albany Police Department.

Photo credit: NYSP.