NYPD Sergeant involved in fatal head-on crash while driving the wrong way on Taconic Parkway.

A sergeant with the New York Police Department (NYPD), Tiffany Howell, was hospitalized following a tragic head-on collision that resulted in the death of another driver. The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday on the Taconic State Parkway in Westchester County, approximately 30 miles north of Manhattan.

On Thursday night at around 11:40 p.m., Howell, who was off duty at the time, was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of the parkway in Mount Pleasant. Her vehicle, a 2021 Infiniti, collided head-on with a 2024 Toyota driven by 61-year-old Manuel Boitel of Peekskill, New York. First responders swiftly transported Boitel to Westchester Medical Center; however, he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Howell also received medical attention at the same facility, where she is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover.

The New York State Police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. They are working to ascertain the factors that led to Howell’s decision to drive against the flow of traffic. Howell left her duty just hours before the accident occurred and resides in Warwick, New York, which is nearly 50 miles from the site of the collision.

In response to the incident, the NYPD has placed Howell on modified assignment, temporarily removing her gun and shield as a precautionary measure while the investigation is underway. As of now, no criminal charges have been filed against her. A spokesperson for the State Police confirmed that she has undergone a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) test to check for any signs of intoxication before the crash; however, details regarding the test results have not yet been disclosed.

The State Police spokesperson mentioned that the ongoing investigation will also involve the office of the state Attorney General due to Howell’s status as a police officer. Howell has been a member of the NYPD for 18 years and was assigned to the Juvenile Strategies Unit within the Office of Crime Control Strategies as of last July.

Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the collision to reach out to the New York State Police Hawthorne Bureau of Criminal Investigation at (914) 742-6057. As the investigation progresses, more information is anticipated to be released.