Update: Child Remains In Critical Condition After Van Smashed Into Tree In Palisades Median

RAMAPO, NY — A child remains in critical condition following a horrific crash on the Palisades.

Investigators say that a 2022 Toyota Sienna, driven by 26-year-old Aryeh Spitzer, of Monsey, was traveling south on the Palisades Interstate Parkway, near Exit 11, when, for reasons still unclear, the vehicle left the roadway, entered the center median, and struck a tree head-on.

There were nine occupants in the vehicle, including Spitzer, a 23-year-old male passenger from Spring Valley, and seven children ranging in age from five to 10 years old. The group was traveling from the Legadel School in Chestnut Ridge.

One child remains in critical but stable condition. The remaining six children and two adults sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

New York State Police have been investigating the cause of the Palisades crash after a mass casualty event was declared Monday afternoon.

SEE ALSO: Mass Casualty Event On The Palisades: State Police Investigating Van Crash That Sent 9 To The Hospital

On Monday, around 1:10 p.m., troopers from the Haverstraw barracks responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash on the southbound Palisades Interstate Parkway, near Exit 11 in the Town of Ramapo.

Investigators said the Toyota Sienna had been occupied by nine people at the time of the crash. Eight of those occupants were rushed to Westchester Medical Center, while one occupant was taken to Montefiore Nyack Hospital.

All nine occupants had injuries of varying severity, NYSP said on Monday.

Drivers were advised to avoid the area near the southbound Exit 11 on the Palisades Interstate Parkway through the evening rush hour due to the ongoing investigation, lane closures, and resulting traffic delays.