Middletown Woman Killed In Head-On Labor Day Crash In Hurley: Police

HURLEY, NY — One person was killed Monday evening in a head-on collision between a Mercedes-Benz and pick-up truck on State Route 209, state police said.

Sierra Fatima Koren Thornton, 25, of Middletown, New York, a passenger in the Mercedes-Benz, died due to her injuries, according to police.

The accident happened around 5:32 p.m.

Police said Hawanatu I. Deen-Ayers, 47, of Middletown, was driving the 2019 Mercedes-Benz southbound on State Route 209.

A preliminary investigation shows Deen-Ayers attempted to pass an uninvolved vehicle by crossing over the broken yellow centerline into the northbound lane, according to police.

At the same time, David W. Lincoln, 60, of Accord, was driving a 2021 Ford pickup truck northbound.

Police said Lincoln tried to avoid a collision by maneuvering his truck into the eastern shoulder.

However, the Mercedes also entered the eastern shoulder, where it struck the pickup truck head-on, according to state police.

Thornton was trapped in the Mercedes. Emergency personnel extricated her and rushed her to HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston, where she died, police said.

Deen-Ayers, Lincoln, and a 63-year-old female passenger from the Ford pickup suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing. Police are asking any witnesses to contact them at 845-344-5300.