It’s the laugh people remember first. That’s what his brother Jared said. Joshua Stevens had a way of filling a room with warmth, a quality that makes the news of his death on a stretch of Orange County road feel so brutally unfair. The 25-year-old from Westtown was killed in a head-on collision Friday afternoon, and a family is now left grappling with a future missing his bright smile.
New York State Police say the crash happened just before 3 p.m. on State Route 284 near County Road 22, right in Westtown. For reasons investigators are still piecing together, Joshua’s 2014 Jeep, heading north, crossed into the oncoming lane. It slammed directly into a southbound dump truck. The driver of that truck, a 38-year-old man from Wurtsboro, walked away without injury. Joshua, tragically, did not. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the raw hours after the loss, his family turned to social media to share their grief. They described him as a loving son, brother, and an uncle who absolutely adored his nephew. Away from the formal police reports, a picture of a young man who loved video games, especially Assassin’s Creed, and who prioritized his family above all else, began to emerge. It’s the person behind the name in the news brief.
The practical realities of sudden loss are harsh. A GoFundMe organized by his brother Jared is aiming to help the family cover funeral costs and outstanding bills. “Joshua had the biggest heart,” the fundraiser reads, echoing the sentiments online. It’s a stark reminder that after the emergency vehicles leave, families are left with both an emotional and a financial void to fill.
Over at State Police Greenville, the work of figuring out the “why” is just beginning. Troopers are deep in the investigation, looking at every possibility. Was it a distraction? A medical issue? Something with the vehicle or the road? Right now, they simply don’t have those answers. They’re asking anyone who saw the crash or has any information to give them a call.
Route 284 is the kind of two-lane road you find all over this part of New York—functional, often busy with both cars and big trucks, and unforgiving when something goes wrong. The crash likely snarled Friday afternoon traffic, but the greater impact is the permanent hole it leaves in a community and a family.
As of now, no tickets have been issued and no cause has been determined. The police label it as an ongoing investigation. For Joshua Stevens’ loved ones, the waiting for answers is just one more difficult part of a nightmare that started with a knock on the door Friday afternoon. They’re left only with memories of his big heart, and the echo of his laugh.
