Craig Dickson Dies when Big Rig Hits Junior’s Lounge in Hyde Park, NY
Hyde Park, NY — June 20, 2022, 33-year-old Craig Dickson died when his tractor-trailer crashed into a building on Salt Point Turnpike in Hyde Park.
According to reports the incident happened shortly before 11:00 a.m. in the area of 504 Salt Point Turnpike, the location of Junior's Lounge pub and restaurant. Preliminary investigation suggests Dickson and his loaded construction dump truck may have been involved in a separate accident in Poughkeepsie, then left the scene toward Salt Point.
Witnesses said the eastbound truck was traveling erratically and crossed into the westbound lanes multiple times. Near Junior's Lounge the big rig collided with a Toyota Highlander, then went off-course and plowed into the building, obliterating its front end.
Dickson was pronounced dead at the scene. The bar's owner, Louis Rossi, and a tenant sleeping in one of the apartments above the bar, Sarah Dempsey, reportedly received minor injuries. The driver of the Toyota Highlander, Kimberly Glatz, was extricated from her overturned vehicle and taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment of minor injuries.
The crash remains under investigation. No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Craig Dickson Accident on Salt Point Turnpike in Hyde Park
Descriptions of this accident paint a picture of a man not entirely in control of his actions. The possible reasons for that vary--some kind of incapacitating medical issue, mechanical problems in the truck, or potentially the influence of intoxicants, for example--but rather than speculate or guess which one might be involved here it's best to investigate carefully and let only the discovered facts do the talking.
Everyone affected by the accident, from the people whose home and livelihood were demolished to the family of the man who lost his life, deserve a full understanding of how and why that occurred. If police don't plan to do more than put together a timeline of events or fall short of properly explaining them, an independent investigation may be needed.
