| Columbia County Sheriff's Office |
David W. Harrison, Jr., SHERIFF James R. Sweet, UNDERSHERIFF
| Copyright ©2006 Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Hudson, NY 12534 |
16 YEAR OLD DIES IN STOCKPORT ACCIDENT
September 29, 2009
Stockport, NY – Columbia County Sheriff David Harrison, Jr. reports that Deputy Sheriff’s are investigating a
fatal automobile accident that occurred on Southers Road in the Town of Stockport. Columbia County 911
assigned Deputy Sheriff’s Michael Stelling and Jeffrey Hofstetter at 11:12pm last evening to the accident that
was approximately one half mile north of Station Road.
Pronounced dead at the scene by County Coroner Angelo Nero was 16 year old Nicholas P. VanBenschoten
of Columbiaville, NY.
VanBenschoten was operating a 2001 Daewoo with a learner’s permit that he had obtained only ten days
ago. He was northwest bound on Southers Road traveling at an excessive speed when he left the north
shoulder of the roadway, struck a culvert and became airborne crashing into a large stone pillar located at
the entrance of a private residential driveway. The impact with the stone pillar was with the driver’s door.
There were two rear seat passengers, 17 year old Allison Shaw of Balsam Road, Valatie and 17 year old Jeff
Beaulieu of county route 25 Stuyvesant Falls, NY. VanBenschoten and Shaw were wearing their seatbelts.
Shaw was transported to the Albany Medical Center by the Greenport Rescue Squad in stable condition and
Beaulieu was airlifted to AMC and was reported to be in critical condition.
The Stockport Fire Company and the Sheriff’s Office Incident Scene Investigation Unit also responded to the
scene.
Sheriff Harrison said an autopsy is scheduled to be performed on Mr. VanBenschoten and the investigation is
continuing by Sheriff’s Investigators and Columbia County Coroner Angelo Nero.
September 29, 2009
Stockport, NY – Columbia County Sheriff David Harrison, Jr. reports that Deputy Sheriff’s are investigating a
fatal automobile accident that occurred on Southers Road in the Town of Stockport. Columbia County 911
assigned Deputy Sheriff’s Michael Stelling and Jeffrey Hofstetter at 11:12pm last evening to the accident that
was approximately one half mile north of Station Road.
Pronounced dead at the scene by County Coroner Angelo Nero was 16 year old Nicholas P. VanBenschoten
of Columbiaville, NY.
VanBenschoten was operating a 2001 Daewoo with a learner’s permit that he had obtained only ten days
ago. He was northwest bound on Southers Road traveling at an excessive speed when he left the north
shoulder of the roadway, struck a culvert and became airborne crashing into a large stone pillar located at
the entrance of a private residential driveway. The impact with the stone pillar was with the driver’s door.
There were two rear seat passengers, 17 year old Allison Shaw of Balsam Road, Valatie and 17 year old Jeff
Beaulieu of county route 25 Stuyvesant Falls, NY. VanBenschoten and Shaw were wearing their seatbelts.
Shaw was transported to the Albany Medical Center by the Greenport Rescue Squad in stable condition and
Beaulieu was airlifted to AMC and was reported to be in critical condition.
The Stockport Fire Company and the Sheriff’s Office Incident Scene Investigation Unit also responded to the
scene.
Sheriff Harrison said an autopsy is scheduled to be performed on Mr. VanBenschoten and the investigation is
continuing by Sheriff’s Investigators and Columbia County Coroner Angelo Nero.