POUGHKEEPSIE – Two people lost their lives in separate Dutchess County accidents over the weekend.
At about 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, Jenna Wilkins, 24, of Hopewell Junction was walking northbound on an unlit portion of Route 82 in East Fishkill near Clove Branch Road when she was struck by a 2007 Hyundai SUV. She was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
No charges have been filed and investigators said the primary contributing factor in the crash appears to be the actions of the pedestrian.
The investigation is continuing.
Meanwhile at about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 6, deputies responded to a crash on Route 22 near Smithfield Road in the Town of North East. They said James Shaughnessy, 52, of Millerton was driving a 2000 Chevrolet S-10 pickup southbound on Route 22 when he lost control of the vehicle, ran off the road and struck a tree.
Shaughnessy, who was alone in the truck, was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.
The primary contributing factor appears to be driver inattention with the investigation continuing by the sheriff’s office Detective Bureau and Crash Investigation Unit.
