Biker dies in crash with minivan on Route 9W in Haverstraw

HAVERSTRAW – A motorcyclist was killed Sunday afternoon when he struck a minivan carrying six people on a scenic stretch of Route 9W, authorities said.

The biker, described as a 44-year-old man from the New City area, was pronounced dead at the scene after the crash.

(Update: Police on Monday identified the driver as John Cardarelli, 44, of New City)

He was traveling north around 2:40 p.m. when he hit a Dodge Caravan and slid underneath it, Police Chief Charles Miller said.

The minivan was making a left turn into a gas station when the bike, possibly a Harley-Davidson, struck the vehicle's corner or side, officials said. No one in the Caravan was injured.

"I just think it's the speed and terrain," Miller said at the scene. "There's a lot of hills and dales. You peak, and something is in front of you and you're going too fast. It's tough to avoid it."

Miller added that the family of the victim has not yet been notified.

He died of multiple blunt force trauma, according to paramedics.

The driver of the Caravan, who is from Jersey City, and his passengers, including two children, were at the Haverstraw police station giving witness statements following the crash.

"Everybody is shaken up," Miller said of the family.

The scenic two-lane road, a popular route for motorcyclists, was closed between New Main Street and Short Clove Road, backing up traffic.

The crash is the latest motorcycle accident in the Lower Hudson Valley, where an average of 317 people a year are hurt in such collisions, and 11 people die, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

The last motorcyclist to die on Route 9W before Sunday was Julio Gamio of New Jersey, who was killed Sept. 15 in Haverstraw.

The 76-year-old had been riding with his daughter, who was trailing him on a second bike, when police said he suddenly went off the road and slammed into a wall topped by a sign and clock.

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