Fatal Route 22 car crash in Amenia leaves 2-year-old girl dead

AMENIA — A 2-year-old girl is dead following a car accident that occurred on Route 22 in the town of Amenia on Thursday morning, Oct. 8, at around 8:20 a.m., according to the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office. 

According to a preliminary investigation report released by the Sheriff’s Office the following day, the two-car fatal crash involved a 2018 Nissan Sentra operated by 26-year-old Millerton resident Reneisha Johnson. Johnson’s 2-year-old daughter, Ellie Dunlop, was a passenger in the Sentra. Johnson was traveling southbound on Route 22 and was stopped in traffic for “an uninvolved vehicle making a turn,” according to a release from the Sheriff’s Office.

A 2000 Ford Explorer operated by 73-year old Amenia resident, Forrest McBreairty, reportedly struck Johnson’s Nissan in the rear after failing to notice it was stopped on the roadway.

Both occupants of the Nissan were injured upon impact; the child was seriously hurt. The mother and daughter were initially transported to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, from where they were flown to Westchester Medical Center. Ellie later passed away at Westchester Medical Center.

According to the press release, “Driver inattention and sun glare are thought to be the primary contributing factors in the crash.”

The Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau and Crash Investigation Unit are continuing to investigate the crash and will release more information when it becomes available; at the present time, no charges have been filed. 

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the New York State Police and the Amenia Fire Department.    

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