Cop loses leg in motorcade collision

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

Cop loses leg in motorcade collision

By Sarah Netter and Steve Lieberman • The Journal News • February 8, 2008

PALISADES - An accident yesterday on Route 9W involving a box truck and a funeral motorcade injured three police motorcyclists, one of whom lost a leg.

The collision about 2:15 p.m. a quarter-mile north of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University closed the road for several hours.

The most seriously injured officer, Sgt. Bill Koretsky of the Bergen County, N.J., Police Department, was flown by helicopter to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla.

Another, Bert Looby, of the Cresskill, N.J., Police Department, was taken by ambulance to Nyack Hospital with a possible broken leg and broken ribs after he crashed into the first downed motorcycle. The third officer had minor injuries.

Orangetown police combed the scene for hours yesterday after the accident, walking among several motorcycles that were propped up among the debris on a portion of the road blocked by police tape.

Another motorcycle was mangled and on its side on the road's shoulder.

Several trucks not involved in the accident were left near the site for hours because police didn't want to disturb the scene.

The third officer, from Ridgewood, N.J., intentionally dumped his bike to avoid the accident. He was taken to Englewood Hospital and Medical Center with "superficial injuries," Orangetown Detective Lt. John McAndrew said. He was treated and released and later returned to the scene to help with the investigation.

Police were expected back on the scene today to investigate the cause of the accident.

Koretsky has been with the Bergen County Police Department for 25 years, police said. He was scheduled for surgery last night.

Police at the hospital said his injuries were serious but not life-threatening.

The truck, which had New Jersey plates, was headed south when it collided with the Bergen County officer's northbound motorcycle.

Six officers from various New Jersey police departments were escorting a limousine carrying the family of the 20-year-old son of an Alpine, N.J., police officer.

The Bergen County officer was in the left front position near the center line driving with three other officers in front of the limo.

The fourth officer riding in front, and two riding behind the limousine, were not involved in the accident.

The driver of the box truck, Ray Fabian of Paterson, N.J., also was not injured.

Fabian, 26, was being interviewed by police last night.

"We don't know yet if the ... driver veered too far to the left around the bend and crossed the double-yellow line or what exactly happened," McAndrew said.

The department's commercial vehicle inspection officers were planning to investigate the box truck to determine if it had any mechanical problems, McAndrew said.

Bergen County Police Capt. Vincent Cutitta said his department was aware of the accident but he declined further comment.

Orangetown Detective Sgt. George Garrecht said at the scene that police had taken six or seven witnesses to the station for interviews.

The accident closed Route 9W in both directions around the New Jersey border and shut Exit 4 of the northbound Palisades Interstate Parkway, New Jersey's Palisades Interstate Parkway police said.

Northbound traffic on Route 9W was diverted onto the parkway.

Just goes to show how DANGEROUS it is for WHEEL guys to do ESCORTS. Good luck to all.

[Guest FFNick]

Just goes to show how DANGEROUS it is for WHEEL guys to do ESCORTS. Good luck to all.

Agreed - I am very curious to see what comes from the investigation, and if it changes anything in the future with Escorts.

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

Agreed - I am very curious to see what comes from the investigation, and if it changes anything in the future with Escorts.

Here is the follow up article so far

Cop started crash that cost his legBy Jane Lerner and Rob Ryser • The Journal News • February 8, 2008

PALISADES - A chain reaction crash that injured three Bergen County, N.J., police officers - one seriously - started when one of the officers lost control of his motorcycle as it accompanied a funeral procession on Route 9W, Orangetown police said this morning.

"Maybe he hit a rut in the road - we don't know," said Orangetown Lt. John McAndrew. "But he was having difficulty with the steering as he came down the hill and around the bend and he collided with the truck."

The motorcycle officer, Sgt. Bill Koretsky of the Bergen County Police Department, was in the front left position along with three other motorcyclists headed north, McAndrew said. Two more officers on motorcycles were behind the limousine, which carried the family of an Alpine, N.J., officer whose 20-year-old son had just been buried. The family was headed home to Old Tappan, N.J. when the crash occurred.

After interviewing witnesses to the 2:15 p.m. yesterday crash, investigators determined that Koretsky lost control of his motorcycle and collided with a box truck carrying bakery goods. Two other officers were hurt when their motorcycles crashed in a chain reaction. They are identified at Bert Looby of the Cresskill, N.J., police, who remains at Nyack Hospital for treatment of a broken leg, broken ribs and possible internal injuries and a third officer from Ridgewood, N.J., who was treated at Englewood Hospital and released.

The fourth officer in the front of the procession managed to avoid the collision. The two riders in the back of the limousine were able to stop safely.

Speed was not a factor in the crash, McAndrew said. There was no indication that anyone involved was driving recklessly, he said.

Koretsky was taken by helicopter to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, where he was scheduled to undergo surgery last night. He was in serious condition this morning after losing his leg in the crash.

The driver of the truck, Ray Fabian, 26, of Paterson, N.J., was not charged.

He and two other people in the truck, a male employee and a woman who did not work for the bakery, were not injured.

Orangetown police are inspecting the truck and expect to issue at least two citations for unsafe conditions. Those conditions likely did not contribute to the crash, police said.

[Guest FFNick]

Thanks for the update. Too bad. God Bless him and his family.

[smwells 7]

A Speedy recovery to the injured officers..

The greiving family must be feeling the addtional stress after this incident..

[southendexpress 11]

the curve that the accident happened on is a really bad bend.

what the journal news forgot was that the alpine and closter fd's set up the LZ on the pip southbound at exit 4.

[IzzyEng4 427]

I'm confused on the location, was this Orangetown New Jersey or New York on 9W?

[OnTheWheel 43]

Definitly a tragic story. It is very dangerous to do escorts, but this could have happened if they were just riding down the street on a motorcycle, car, bicycle etc escorting or not. Some vehicles obviously provide less shielding for their operator but its a chance we all take everyday we go to work or even leave the house.

[210 91]

My department provides funeral escorts. I have always been against it, especially now in these days of ridiculous law suits and liability issues. I know it's a nice service to provide the community but the nice days are gone. But like on On The Wheel said, this could have happened riding down the road.