Head-On Crash in Westchester Leaves Eight Dead

A minivan that was heading in the wrong direction on the Taconic State Parkway has led to a three-car accident that has left eight people dead in Westchester this afternoon. The van traveled in the opposite direction in the northernbound lanes around 2 p.m. and ended up going head-first into an SUV in what was said to be a fiery crash up by Route 117 in Briarcliff. The driver of the van and four children riding inside have been confirmed dead as well as three adults from the SUV. A fifth child from the van has been hospitalized and is in critical condition. Three adults from a third car involved are being treated for injuries. The Journal News reports that "the minivan could be seen resting on a hill, completely burned." The Taconic has been closed to traffic in both directions from Saw Mill Parkway to Pleasantville Road. A man was arrested for a DWI overnight in a similar incident further up the Taconic, where he also went onto the wrong side of the highway and struck a car with four people in it, all five of whom were treated for minor injuries.