Fatality in Saw Mill Drag Race
A 21-year-old West Harrison man was identified Wednesday as the victim of a deadly crash during an early morning drag race in Dobbs Ferry.
Westchester County Police said Christopher Seguinot drove through the steel railing and off the Ashford Avenue Bridge near Exit 17 of the Saw Mill River Parkway in Ardsley.
A funeral service for Seguinot, who aspired to be a state trooper, is being planned for Monday in White Plains.
Police closed the northbound lanes of the Saw Mill at Lawrence Street for about eight hours, snarling traffic in Ardsley and Dobbs Ferry, south to Yonkers.
Seguinot and another man, who has yet to be identified, reportedly met in Yonkers, attracting about 50 cars and 100 onlookers before the race began.
Police say an on-duty county police officer noticed the cars obstructing the northbound lanes of the Saw Mill River Parkway in Hastings. They were lined up and driving very slowly, indicative of the start of a drag race. The officer then saw taillights of the two cars speed away, but couldn’t catch up as the cars raced at speeds exceeding 80 mph, police said.
The officer was flagged down by a motorist who said a red Chevrolet Camaro just smashed through the guardrails of the Ashford Avenue Bridge about 12:10 a.m. Wednesday.
The 2010 Camaro driven by Seguinot plunged about 30 feet.
No one else was hurt, but charges are expected to be filed against the unnamed driver of a second car, whose driver knew Seguinot, according to police.
The parkway reopened about 8:30 a.m. and the bridge was reopened about two hours later, following a police investigation.
At a news conference in Hawthorne, County Public Safety Commissioner George Longworth said police receive reports of drag racing several times a month. “We believe they were racing prior to the accident,’’ Longworth said. “I would anticipate that some charges would follow. . . It’s a crime to engage in a speed contest.”
Off-camera, the crash victim’s uncle told News 12 that Seguinot aspired to be a state trooper and worked in construction.
Examiner Media – Keeping you informed with professionally-reported local news, features, and sports coverage.
