Union County Man Killed After Truck's Brakes Fail On Steep Hill

ELIZABETH, NJ — A Union County man was killed after a box truck's brakes failed while driving down a steep hill in New York, said Dutchess County Sheriff's Office.

On May 29 at around 2:55 p.m., a 2007 Freightliner box truck was driving west on Wingdale Mountain Road when the driver lost control going down a steep hill, said police.

The box truck then went off the southern shoulder of the road and hit trees, said police.

The driver Ronald Argenis-Rivera, 32, of Elizabeth, was taken to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the front seat passenger, Mario Ernesto-Hernandez, 38, of Elizabeth, was pronounced dead at the scene, said police.

The truck is registered to Hernandez-Torres LLC of Elizabeth and was loaded with furniture at the time of the crash.

After the crash, Wingdale Mountain Road near Clove Valley Road was closed for around four hours due to the investigation.

"At this time, the primary factor in the crash appears to be brake failure, and the investigation is continuing by the Sheriff’s Office’s Detective Bureau and Crash Investigation Unit," said police.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Dutchess County Medical Examiner, New York State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit, and the Town of Union Vale Fire Department.

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