A late-night wrong-way collision on the Taconic State Parkway has left a 61-year-old Peekskill man dead and an off-duty New York City police sergeant seriously injured, prompting a multi-agency investigation, state police said.
Authorities allege that Tiffany Howell, 47, a sergeant with the New York City Police Department, was driving southbound in the northbound lanes of the Taconic State Parkway when her vehicle struck another car head-on in the Town of Mount Pleasant shortly before midnight Thursday. The crash occurred around 11:39 p.m., according to New York State Police.
Howell, who is assigned to the department’s Crime Control Strategies unit, was driving a 2021 Infiniti and was returning home from work at the time of the incident, officials said. The other vehicle, a 2024 Toyota, was driven by Manuel Boitel, 61, of Peekskill.
Boitel was rushed to Westchester Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Howell was also taken to a hospital and is being treated for serious injuries.
State police said investigators are reviewing toxicology results, including Howell’s blood-alcohol level, as part of the ongoing probe. Howell, who joined the NYPD in 2008, has been placed on modified duty pending the outcome of the investigation, department officials confirmed. Under NYPD policy, she would be suspended if an arrest is made.
The Sergeants Benevolent Association declined to comment publicly on the case but noted that, if arrested, Howell would be required to retain private legal counsel.
In accordance with state law governing incidents involving police officers and fatalities, the New York State Attorney General’s Office has been notified and will oversee aspects of the review.
The investigation remains active, and authorities have not announced whether criminal charges will be filed.
By The Midtown Times Staff
Published Jan. 23, 2026
