Two injured when car plunges off cliff - Mid Hudson News

A mother and her daughter narrowly escaped serious catastrophe on Sunday night when the Jeep they were operating plunged off an elevated driveway, cleared a backyard, and dropped approximately 30 feet onto Route 9 in Poughkeepsie, according to a report by Mid Hudson News.

The dramatic incident unfolded at approximately 5:30 p.m. Sunday night. Emergency responders arrived to find the vehicle positioned perpendicular to the roadway, effectively blocking both northbound lanes just north of the Albany Avenue exit. The sudden plunge forced authorities to shut down traffic on that stretch of Route 9 between Albany Avenue and Delafield Street for several hours while police, fire, and emergency medical services worked the scene.

Investigators quickly turned their attention to the mechanics of how the vehicle left the private property. According to information provided by one of the vehicle’s occupants, the mother was actively teaching her daughter how to drive. The Jeep was parked in the owner’s driveway along Albany Avenue when the driver placed the transmission into “drive.” The vehicle then accelerated forward down the pavement, traveled entirely through the residential backyard, and vaulted over the drop-off.

Investigation and Scene Reconstruction

Paramedics transported both occupants by ambulance to a local hospital for medical evaluation and treatment. Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies moved swiftly to map the trajectory of the fall. Members of the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office Accident Reconstruction Unit deployed to the site, utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle to capture a comprehensive overhead survey of the wreckage and the drop zone.

As recovery crews cleared the debris from the asphalt, the official investigation into the exact sequence of driver inputs remained active. City of Poughkeepsie police asked anyone who may have witnessed the vehicle’s movement or captured relevant footage to contact their confidential tip line at 845-451-7577.