from Saugerties Police:
Date of Incident: February 16, 2017
At 11:47am Thursday morning, Saugerties Police responded to a report of a train verses motor vehicle crash on Doyles Lane, just east of Kings Highway in Mount Marion.
A south bound CSX train struck a 2008 Chevrolet Van (Taxi- Kingston Kab), operated by 43 year old Phillip Prindle of Kingston, as the taxi was crossing the railroad tracks on Doyles Lane. As a result of the impact, 50 year old Bertha Whispell of Saugerties, a rear seat passage in the Taxi, had been ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene. A second passenger of the Taxi, 52 year old Rodney Smith, in addition to the operator of the taxi Phillip Prindle, were treated at the scene by paramedics from Diaz Ambulance and transported to the Health Alliance Hospital Kingston Broadway Campus. At the time of this press release Injuries sustained by Prindle and Smith reported to be non-life threatening.
The events leading to the crash are still under investigation by the Saugerties Police Detectives Division.
Saugerties Police were assisted at the scene by members from the New York State Police, Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, CSX Police, the Mount Marion Fire Department and the Centerville Cedar Grove Fire Department.