WCSU Alum Identified As Victim In Fatal Hudson Valley Crash

UNION VALE, NY — The victim of a single-vehicle accident Friday evening has been identified as a New York man and Western Connecticut State University alum who planned to become a firefighter.

Ryan E. Nichols, 25, of Poughquag, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said Tuesday.

The crash happened on Clove Road around 6:40 p.m. on Nov. 28, according to Capt. John Watterson of the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.

Nichols had been driving a 2016 Dodge Ram pickup truck southbound on Clove Road in the vicinity of Mack Road when his vehicle struck a tree, according to police.

An investigation is ongoing. However, police said “unsafe speed appears to be a contributing factor.”

Nichols was a 2018 graduate of Arlington High School in New York where he played football and lacrosse. He later played football at Buffalo State University and Western Connecticut State University, according to his obituary. According to his family, he had been looking forward to joining the Beekman Fire Department in his hometown.