Towering flames and thick black smoke engulfed a New York State Police cruiser in a rural highway crash on Tuesday morning, leaving two troopers injured. The incident occurred just after 7 a.m. on State Route 374 in the town of Plattsburgh.
A chain-reaction crash led to the dramatic scene, with two marked Dodge Charger patrol cars heading west when traffic slowed near an intersection for a vehicle preparing to turn. A 2018 Jeep Cherokee driven by 41-year-old Michelle L. Donah failed to slow down in time and slammed into the rear of one patrol car, pushing it into the second cruiser.
The impact sparked a fire that engulfed one of the patrol vehicles, with flames shooting high above the cruiser and thick black smoke pouring into the sky. Local fire departments quickly responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze.
Two troopers, Jacob R. Casey and Jakai E. Townsend, were taken to Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Jeep Cherokee, Michelle L. Donah, was evaluated at the scene but declined additional medical treatment after signing a refusal.
The incident remains under investigation as authorities continue to gather information and determine the cause of the crash.
