Brewster Resident Killed In Chain-Reaction Crash

BREWSTER, NY — An owner of one of Westchester's favorite Italian restaurants died Saturday in a crash on I-684. Maria Piscopo was killed in a chain-reaction accident in North Castle.

Her late husband's father opened Johnny's Pizzeria at 30 W. Lincoln Ave. in 1942, The Journal News reported.

State police are investigating the fatal motor vehicle crash, which occurred in North Castle around 1 a.m.

The initial investigation suggests that Brewster residents Joseph Piscopo Jr., 47, the driver of a 2001 GMC Denali, and Maria Piscopo, 69, the passenger, were traveling north on I-684 and rear-ended a 2001 Dodge Dakota.

As Piscopo tried to pull off onto the shoulder of the highway, his Denali was rear-ended by a 2012 Isuzu box truck operated by Saed K. Alkasaji, 43, of Danbury, CT, police said.

All three were taken to Westchester Medical Center by ambulance, where Maria Piscopo was later pronounced dead.

State police were assisted at the scene by the Katonah Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Katonah Fire Department, Troop K Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit, Troop K Collision Reconstruction Unit and the Westchester Medical Examiner's Office.

SEE: 1 Dead In Early Morning Crash Saturday On I-684