Rollover crash injures 3 teens

RHINEBECK, N.Y. >> Three teenagers were injured, one seriously, in a rollover crash after a 16-yearold lost control of the vehicle he was driving, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

James Krinitsky, of Red Hook, was driving on Middle Road, near Pitcher Road, in Rhinebeck in a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee about 2:50 p.m. Thursday when he lost control of the vehicle and it overturned, the Sheriff’s Office said. The Sheriff’s Office said excessive speed and Krinitsky’s “lack of driving experience” appeared to be “primary factors” in the incident.

Christopher Knapp, 16, of Red Hook, a passenger in the Jeep, suffered a serious head injury, the Sheriff’s Office said. He initially was taken to MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie and then transferred to Westchester Medical Center, where he remained Friday.

Krinitsky and the backseat passenger, Louis Lederer, 15, of Red Hook, suffered minor injuries and were taken to MidHudson Regional Hospital, the Sheriff’s Office said.

No charges had been filed as of midday Friday, but the Sheriff’s Office said its investigation remained open.

State law prohibits drivers with a junior license — which Krinitsky has, according to Sheriff’s Office Capt. John Watterson — from having more than one passenger under the age of 21 in a vehicle unless a parent, guardian or driving instructor is present.