Above: A video report from NBC New York about the death of three people on Route 17 on Sept. 7.
A couple and their future son-in-law died in a fatal rollover crash on Route 17 in the Sullivan County town of Mamakating on Labor Day, according to a New York State Police press release and media reports.
Morris Faitelewicz, 58 and his wife Beth Faitelewicz, 54, were both emergency medical workers who worked in 9/11 recovery operations and were active members of New York City's Jewish community. Yehuda Bayme, 31, had just gotten engaged to their daughter, Shani, in June, according to NBC News.
Three other members of the Faitelewicz family were in the car when it crashed around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7, police say. Those three--Jason Faitelewicz, 29, Sheryl (Shani) Faitelewicz, 27, and Alan Faitelewicz, 23--survived with injuries.
The family was returning to New York City after spending Labor Day weekend at a resort in Ellenville, police say.
An initial investigation found that the crash happened when Morris, who was driving, tried to change lanes and then swerved to avoid another vehicle. He overcorrected, causing the car to roll over, police say.
The Faitelewiczs were beloved in the NYC community, according to the New York Daily News:
“Beth and Morris didn’t just lend a hand to help downtown recover from 9/11, they put everything they had into helping lower Manhattan and the city come back,” said former neighbor Stu Loeser.
“Beth was tireless as a nurse at Beth Israel,” added Loeser, who also was the spokesman for former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “She was much loved in the hospital,” said friend Jacob Goldman, 44.
“They were just great people, everyone loved them. The community is in shock here.”
