Respected Doctor Killed in Freak Airstream Accident During Eclipse Travel
Editor’s Note: Our readers responded strongly to this story when it originally ran; we’re reposting it here in case you missed it.
A pediatrician was killed on April 6 when she was thrown out of a moving Airstream travel trailer while making a trek from Long Island to upstate New York to watch the solar eclipse on April 8.
The accident happened near the community of Brownville, which is north of Syracuse near the Canadian border.
The doctor, 58-year-old Monika Woroniecka, was headed for Cape Vincent, which was in the path of totality of the eclipse, The New York Post reported.
Today is the day! For those hoping to observe the Total Solar Eclipse, here is a look at the expected sky cover for 3pm. While high level clouds will be increasing this afternoon, some of them will be thin, so the eclipse may still be viewable, especially for eastern areas (1/2) pic.twitter.com/kpVwnOcz6z
— NWS Albany (@NWSAlbany) April 8, 2024
According to multiple reports and an accident report from the New York State Police, Woroniecka was traveling with her husband, Robert, and their daughter Helena.
The two women were riding inside of a 2024 Airstream trailer, which Robert was towing with a pickup truck. According to the Post, they had decided to ride in the trailer for the last 20 minutes of the trip.
Police said in a statement that was when tragedy struck.
“Witnesses behind the Airstream claimed they saw the passenger side door of the Airstream open, Monika Woroniecka’s arm hanging on the door after the wind caused the door to swing open, causing her to be thrown from the Airstream,” the accident report stated.
“Monika subsequently struck her head on the shoulder of the roadway. Cape Vincent Ambulance transported Monika to Samaritan Medical Center’s Emergency Room where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased.”
WWNY-TV in Carthage, New York, reported the highway the family was traveling on, State Route 12E, was temporarily closed following the accident, which is still under investigation.
The late pediatrician was described as “well-respected” by the Post.
LI doctor killed in freak Airstream accident was on family trip to see eclipse: ‘Oh, God! I can’t believe this’ https://t.co/8PfILjiJ2X pic.twitter.com/1qxvJIGaH1
— New York Post (@nypost) April 8, 2024
According to a medical profile that belonged to Woroniecka from Long Island’s Stony Brook Medical, the late doctor had been practicing for decades and specialized in the field of pediatric allergy and immunology.
“Dr. Woroniecka likes to travel, hike, exercise, and spend time with family and friends,” her biography on the Stony Brook Medicine website states.
One of Woroniecka’s neighbors on Long Island expressed shock and grief when discussing the accident with the Post.
“They were going upstate to watch the solar eclipse,” said a woman identified only as “Maria.”
“My husband saw them right before they left,” she added. “He happened to talk to them, and [Woroniecka’s husband] Robert [said] they were going up with their daughter to see the total eclipse.”
According to the neighbor, Woroniecka shared three daughters with her husband.
Maria also said the family had just purchased the Airstream trailer and had been planning to take trips with it — including a trip to Arizona for a daughter’s wedding.
According to the Post, it is illegal in the state to ride in a travel trailer, such as the one the family was towing when Woroniecka was killed.
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