Another Wrong-Way Driver Stopped In Westchester County
HARRISON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There's been another close call involving a wrong-way driver in Westchester County.
For the second time in two weeks, Harrison patrol officers were in the right place at the right time to catch people going the wrong way before they could hurt themselves or others.
The latest incident happened Monday on the Anderson Hill Road bridge over I-287, which is clearly marked for one-way traffic.
Officer Nicholas Mehlrose was on patrol when he spotted a big problem, an SUV going the wrong way.
The driver narrowly missed two vehicles going around a blind curve. Mehlrose managed to pull the driver over before anyone was hurt.
Drivers who watched the video said the cop may have saved lives.
"People are in such a hurry and distracted. So it's very sad," Harrison resident Lisa LaDore said, adding when asked if it makes her more careful behind the wheel, "Definitely."
Harrison cops said the elderly driver went left at a split in the road when she should have stayed right.
Between the split and the start of the bridge there are four red and white signs that say "Do Not Enter" or "Wrong Way."
"They have to do something about this because it's happening too much," said Mary Ann Roode of Harrison.
It was dangerous deja vu for Harrison officers, who stopped another wrong-way driver on nearby Westchester Avenue on Feb. 9. Harrison officer John Salov's dash cam captured a white SUV coming straight at him. A microphone on his uniform recorded the following interaction:
"We just had a fatality here last week. Did you read the news?" Salov said.
"I just thank God you were here," said the driver.
"See all of these cars coming off? We would have had a huge collision right here," Salov said.
Awareness of the wrong-way driver problem is particularly high following a Jan. 30 wreck on I-287, when a wrong-way driver smashed into another vehicle, killing an Ardsley man and a teenage passenger.
State police said charges in that case are pending.
In the two most recent wrong-way incidents, the drivers were older, and one cited her GPS as confusing her rather than helping her.
Police do not believe poorly marked roads were an issue. This was driver error, and a reminder to always drive defensively, Aiello reported.