Troopers: Semi driver from Schenectady killed in Catskill Thruway crash

CATSKILL – A tractor-trailer driver from Schenectady was killed in a crash involving another truck on the Thruway Sunday, state police said.

Irinel Mladin-Kennedy, 51, died of injuries suffered in the early morning crash on Interstate 87 northbound in the town of Catskill, troopers said.

The other driver involved, Michael E. Wolf, 63, of Red Lion, Pa., was taken to Albany Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries, state police said.

The crash happened just after 5:30 a.m. when Mladin-Kennedy’s northbound truck veered off to the right shoulder for an unknown reason and struck Wolf’s truck, which was pulled over on the shoulder, state police said.

Both trucks went about 100 feet north on the shoulder and caught fire. The crash halted all northbound traffic for several hours, state police said.

An autopsy on Mladin-Kennedy conducted Monday morning confirmed he died of injuries suffered in the accident, state police said. A toxicology report is pending.

Mladin-Kennedy’s tractor-trailer carried U.S. Mail. State police notified the Postal Inspector of the accident and status of the load. Wolf’s tractor-trailer carried coffee products, troopers said.

State police from Troop F and the Troop T Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit handled the investigation. They were assisted at the scene by the Catskill Fire Department, Kiskatom Fire Department, Catskill Rescue and Gallagher’s Towing.

All northbound lanes reopened to traffic shortly after 1 p.m.

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