Claverack, New York just after 7 p.m. on a Monday evening turned into a small town’s worst moment of the week when a northbound car veered across the center line on State Route 9H and smashed head‑on into another vehicle. The force of the impact left four people dead and two others in critical condition, including a 1‑year‑old child.
The northbound vehicle was a 2009 Toyota Prius driven by 29‑year‑old Nazmul Robel of Loudonville. For reasons still under investigation, the car drifted over the center line and collided with a southbound 2025 Toyota Crown near the intersection with Van Wyck Lane. The crash was so violent that emergency crews from multiple departments spent hours on the scene clearing debris and reopening the closed stretch of highway.
Robel and two passengers in his Prius — 60‑year‑old Mohammed Heramon and 25‑year‑old Fahim Halim, both from the Bronx — were pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger in the Prius, 33‑year‑old Fatima Akter of the Bronx, was rushed to Albany Medical Center in critical but stable condition. The 1‑year‑old girl with them was airlifted to the same hospital and remains in critical condition.
In the Crown, the driver, 24‑year‑old Luka Palvenian of Brooklyn, was treated at Albany Medical Center and later released. His passenger, 62‑year‑old Julia Ritchie of Stockport, was pronounced dead on the roadside. Families of the victims have been notified, and the community is reeling from the sudden loss.
Sheriff’s deputies and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office crash investigation team are combing through evidence to determine why the Prius crossed the center line. There is currently no indication of alcohol, drugs, or medical emergency, but those angles are under review as part of the broader probe.
Neighbors who heard the collision began gathering at the edge of the scene, some in shock, others trying to help until first responders arrived. Residents described the night as eerily quiet in the hours that followed, with the usual hum of traffic replaced by flashing lights and the somber work of investigators.
The stretch of NY 9H where the crash occurred remained closed for roughly four hours, disrupting traffic and leaving many drivers diverted through side roads. Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward to assist in the ongoing investigation.
