Fatal Crash Shuts Eastbound Cross Westchester Expressway

A 28-year-old Port Chester man was killed when his car was sideswiped by an oncoming tractor trailer on Cross Westchester Expressway early Tuesday morning.

Police have identified the driver as Hector Rodriguez. They say he lost control of his Volkswagen Passat and hit the highway's left guard rail between the Exit 9 and Exit 10 interchanges at about 3:45 a.m.

The vehicle spun around, coming to a stop perpendicular to the highway before it was hit on the driver's side by an oncoming tractor trailer, pinning Rodriguez inside and killing him instantly, police said.

Black tire marks stretch along the eastbound left lane at the scene, near the Kenilworth Road overpass in Harrison. The vehicle was pushed anywhere from 50 to 100 feet before the tractor trailer came to a stop, police said. 

All four eastbound lanes were closed for several hours while authorities investigated the accident and cleared debris. Eastbound traffic was diverted off the highway at Exit 9, bypassing the scene until it was cleared. Traffic was backed up on the highway for miles.

A single lane was opened at 10 a.m. and all four lanes weren't cleared until around noon — eight hours after the accident — when traffic returned to normal.

State police are still speaking to witnesses and why Rodriguez lost control of the vehicle remains under investigation. It is not known how fast he was going at the time of the accident, police said. 

Update, 9:08 a.m. One person has been killed.  Eastbound lanes remain blocked, investigation active.

Update, 10:30 a.m. A single lane is now open at the scene of the crash, traffic still backed up past White Plains.

Update, 12:29 p.m. All lanes are now open and traffic is flowing freely in both directions.