Askus3
06-15-2006, 19:52
Police investigate freak Bear Mountain crash
Bear Mountain - Investigators continue to piece together what happened in a freak accident that claimed the life of a Staten Island mother when her minivan plummeted 300 feet off the side of a cliff near Bear Mountain State Park Wednesday night.
Information on why the Honda Odyssey parked on Perkins Memorial Drive tumbled over the side remained unavailable this morning. Police have said that Victor Han parked the van and got out to take pictures of the breathtaking view near the end of the drive, when the van rolled forward. Inside were his wife, Hejin, and their two girls, ages 3 and 5. The girls survived the crash but Hejin Han was pronounced dead at the scene.
More than 40 firefighters were on the scene Wednesday, including a dozen firefighters from Fort Montgomery, which often comes to help the Stony Point Fire Department.
A tow truck is on the scene at this hour, although it's unclear when the wreckage will be retrieved. Authorities said it could take as little as 30 minutes or as long as four hours. Below the cliff, park rangers were diverting hikers along the Appalachian Trail as a precaution in case the wreckage came loose and fell further. The road will remain closed until investigators finish reconstructing the accident.
The site where the accident took place overlooks the huge field between the Bear Mountain Inn and the stone Palisades Interstate Park Commission administration building and Hessian Lake. It's a small area at the top of the two-lane drive where people pull off the road and set up picnic chairs and take in the view. Large stones are arranged to prevent cars from going over the side and a ranger expressed surprise that a vehicle was able to get past.
Bear Mountain - Investigators continue to piece together what happened in a freak accident that claimed the life of a Staten Island mother when her minivan plummeted 300 feet off the side of a cliff near Bear Mountain State Park Wednesday night.
Information on why the Honda Odyssey parked on Perkins Memorial Drive tumbled over the side remained unavailable this morning. Police have said that Victor Han parked the van and got out to take pictures of the breathtaking view near the end of the drive, when the van rolled forward. Inside were his wife, Hejin, and their two girls, ages 3 and 5. The girls survived the crash but Hejin Han was pronounced dead at the scene.
More than 40 firefighters were on the scene Wednesday, including a dozen firefighters from Fort Montgomery, which often comes to help the Stony Point Fire Department.
A tow truck is on the scene at this hour, although it's unclear when the wreckage will be retrieved. Authorities said it could take as little as 30 minutes or as long as four hours. Below the cliff, park rangers were diverting hikers along the Appalachian Trail as a precaution in case the wreckage came loose and fell further. The road will remain closed until investigators finish reconstructing the accident.
The site where the accident took place overlooks the huge field between the Bear Mountain Inn and the stone Palisades Interstate Park Commission administration building and Hessian Lake. It's a small area at the top of the two-lane drive where people pull off the road and set up picnic chairs and take in the view. Large stones are arranged to prevent cars from going over the side and a ranger expressed surprise that a vehicle was able to get past.