Long Island doctor killed after being thrown out of camper being towed by truck
BROWNSVILLE, N.Y. -- A getaway to view Monday's eclipse turned tragic for a Long Island family.
Dr. Monika Woroniecka was thrown out of her Airstream camper while it was being towed by a pickup truck her husband was driving.
The 58-year-old was a pediatrician at Stony Brook Children's Hospital.
The accident happened Saturday in Brownsville in upstate New York while the family was headed to the path of totality.
The wind blew the trailer's door open as the family was headed west on Route 12E and Woroniecka was thrown from the trailer, police said.
"Inside Edition" spoke with the victim's daughter, Helena.
"The door was shaking a little bit. It sounded super windy even though she had closed it behind her. I saw her one second, and the next she was gone and the door was wide open, and she didn't even have time to scream," she said.
Woroniecka hit her head on the shoulder of the road, police said. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.
Dr. Susan Schuval, chief of pediatric allergy and immunology at Stony Brook, said in a statement that Woroniecka "was known for her calm demeanor, kindness, and dedication to her patients."
It's illegal to ride in travel trailers in most states, including New York.