Separate crashes leave two men dead

Two men — one from Long Island, the other a motorcyclist from Catskill, N.Y., — were killed in separate vehicle crashes in Greene County Saturday afternoon, state police said.

At 1:45 p.m., police said, a 2018 Subaru operated by Christine Cepale, 79, of Windham, N.Y., was eastbound on Lincoln Drive in the town of Cairo when she crossed state Route 145, directly into the path of a 1988 Kawasaki motorcycle operated by Kevin Sweeney, 55, of Catskill. Sweeney’s motorcycle struck the front passenger side of Cepale’s car, throwing him. Sweeney was taken to a waiting helicopter for transport to a hospital, but died before he could be placed in the aircraft, authorities said.

Cepale and her husband, Robert Cepale, 85, were taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson, where they were treated for minor injuries and released. Police said an investigation is continuing and charges are pending.

State police were assisted at the scene by the Cairo Police Department, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Cairo Fire Department and Cairo Ambulance.

In the other incident, a 2019 Polaris utility vehicle operated by Scott Colleran, 51, of Lindenhurst, N.Y., was northbound on Brand Hollow Road in the town of Durham at 5:41 p.m. Saturday when it failed to make a turn and went off the east shoulder of the road, striking a tree. Colleran’s front passenger, Jeff Kuhn, 53, of East Northport, N.Y., was killed.

Colleran and another passenger, who was not identified, were treated for injuries at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson. Two other passengers were uninjured, police said.

Police said an investigation is continuing and charges are pending.

Assisting state police were the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Albany County EMS, Town of Durham Police, Oak Hill Fire Department and Tri-Village Fire Department.