Cornwall man killed while working on Route 32 shoulder

A routine property-maintenance job on Route 32 turned deadly in Cornwall on Monday afternoon when a northbound 2025 Audi Q3 struck Kevin Starkey on the shoulder near Paradise Hill.

Starkey, 48, was treated at the scene and taken to Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh, where he died. Mid Hudson News reported that Starkey was a Cornwall resident who lived in Middletown with his wife, Virginia, underscoring how the crash reached beyond a traffic report and into a family now facing an immediate loss.

Police identified the driver as Dylan Page, 26, of Highland Mills. Investigators said Page remained at the scene and cooperated fully. They also said there was no suspected alcohol or drug involvement, leaving questions focused on the conditions of the roadway, the visibility at the shoulder, and the danger faced by a worker doing ordinary maintenance beside moving traffic.

The crash happened about 4:20 p.m. on June 2, during the afternoon commute window when Route 32 carries steady traffic through Cornwall and surrounding Orange County towns. Police said the investigation remains open and asked witnesses to come forward, a sign that investigators still want more detail about the Audi’s lane position, speed, road conditions, and Starkey’s position on the shoulder at the moment of impact.

The death also lands against a broader safety backdrop. Governor Kathy Hochul’s office said New York ran a statewide Work Zone Awareness campaign from April 20 to April 24, urging motorists to slow down, stay alert, and follow the Move Over Law. The New York State Department of Transportation has also continued to push work-zone safety materials, including guidance for drivers and roadside workers.

Roadside work is especially vulnerable because it often happens inches from live traffic. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has said roadside assistance providers and similar workers are at risk of being struck by passing vehicles, a danger that does not depend on a driver fleeing or being impaired. On Route 32 near Paradise Hill, that risk proved fatal in a matter of seconds.