Wrong-Way I-287 Driver Who Hit 2 Cars Faces Reckless Driving, DWI Charges: Police

HARRISON, NY — A driver is facing criminal charges after a potentially deadly scene unfolded on a busy Hudson Valley highway.

Members of New York State Police Troop T, New Rochelle arrested 49-year-old Robert Daniel Mack, of White Plains, and charged him with aggravated DWI, reckless driving, reckless endangerment, and traffic violations.

On Thursday, shortly after 4:30 a.m., a state police trooper traveling east in the left lane of I-287, in the town of Harrison, encountered a car traveling west directly toward the patrol vehicle at a high speed. The trooper took evasive action to avoid a head-on collision, then exited the highway, and entered the westbound lanes to attempt to locate the wrong-way vehicle.

By the time the trooper caught up, the wrong-way vehicle, a 2026 Toyota Corona driven by Mack, had already hit a 2019 Ford Taurus and a 2022 Cadillac Escalade before coming to a stop after colliding with the center median, according to NYSP.

Both drivers hit by the wrong-way car were evaluated by EMS at the scene and taken to Westchester Medical Center with minor injuries.

Mack, who did not have any reported injuries, was administered standardized field sobriety tests, which he failed, according to troopers. He was taken to Tarrytown for processing, where he registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.18 percent, more than twice the legal limit, according to NYSP.

Mack was released to a sober third party and is due in White Plains City Court on Nov. 5.