Victims Of Deadly, Early Morning 3-Car Crash ID'd By Authorities

SOUTHEAST, NY —The identities of a tragic chain-reaction collision on a Hudson Valley highway have now been released by authorities in Putnam County.

Early Election Day morning, at approximately 7:20 a.m., the New York State Police at Brewster were dispatched to Danbury Road, in the Town of Southeast, for a report of a three-vehicle collision.

Investigators said 87-year-old Helen T. Gambino, of Brewster, was driving a 2024 Subaru and was stopped at a stop sign on Dingle Ridge Road. As Gambino attempted to make a left turn onto Danbury Road, her vehicle was struck by an eastbound 2015 BMW driven by 19-year-old Caua Dos Santos Rocha, of Danbury.

The impact caused the Subaru to overturn and come to rest in the center median. Following the initial collision, the BMW struck a 2009 Honda driven by 23-year-old Devin S. Reynoso, of Danbury who was also traveling east in the right lane of Danbury Road.

Gambino was taken to Danbury Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Rocha was transported to Danbury hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Reynoso was not injured.