Nine-Vehicle Crash on Route 17A in Goshen Hospitalizes Six, Traps Two Drivers

A tractor-trailer hauling logs rolled over on Route 17A near Jones Plumbing in the Town of Goshen Wednesday afternoon, triggering a nine-vehicle collision that left two drivers trapped and six people hospitalized before the highway finally reopened more than four hours later.

Town of Goshen police were dispatched to the scene around 2:45 p.m. on March 11, arriving to find a serious, multi-vehicle wreck with two people pinned inside their vehicles. The driver of the log truck was found pinned upside down inside the cab for an extended period, according to police. A second driver was also trapped inside a separate vehicle that contained a pregnant woman and another rear-seat passenger.

Fire departments from the Village of Florida, the Village of Goshen, and the hamlet of Pine Island responded and began what officials described as a complex extrication process using hydraulic rescue tools. Both trapped drivers were successfully freed. In total, six people were transported to two area hospitals for treatment by Goshen Emergency Medical Services and Hatzolah EMS. Authorities did not immediately release details on their conditions.

The response drew agencies from across the county and state. The Orange County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police, and the New York State Department of Transportation all assisted Town of Goshen officers at the scene. Route 17A remained closed for several hours during the rescue and cleanup operations before reopening to traffic at approximately 7:15 p.m.

No details on what caused the crash were immediately available, and the investigation remains ongoing.