An allegedly drunk driver crashed and killed her passenger during the early morning on Monday, April 23, according to State Police.
A one-car fatal accident on State Route 9J in the Town of Schodack was reported to Rensselaer County 911 at approximately 5 a.m., according to police. Upon arriving at the scene, police located a 2000 GMC pickup that had crashed into a tree. Police said the vehicle was headed south on Route 9J before traveling over the west shoulder and off the road.
The passenger, Darlene M. Walter, a 47-year-old Scotia resident, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The driver, Lisa M. Hartigan, a 48-year-old Castleton resident, was taken to Albany Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, said police.
Hartigan was charged with DWI, with additional charges pending, said police, and the investigation is ongoing.
