Tillson fire captain dies in accident on Route 32
A captain in the Tillson Fire Department died Monday morning in an accident on state Route 32 that involved a Ford pickup and a tree, according to the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office and the fire department.
Justin J. Scharschu, 28, of Tillson, was pronounced dead at the scene, near De- Witt Mills Road, according to sheriff’s Capt. Vincent Altieri. Scharschu was towing a trailer full of boards and concrete at the time of the crash, Altieri said.
“Our hearts are heavy today,” the Tillson Fire Department said on its Facebook page Monday afternoon. “We not only lost a captain, but a son, a brother, a uncle and a great friend . ... Rest in peace, brother. We will take it from here.
A preliminary investigation found Scharschu was northbound on Route 32 in a Ford F350 just after 6 a.m. when the vehicle either struck or was struck by a fallen tree, the Sheriff’s Office said. It said the pickup then went off the road and came to a stop in a wooded area along the east shoulder.
Altieri said Scharschu, who was alone in the vehicle, was
wearing a seat belt and that speed was not a factor in the accident. He said the truck had “a lot of momentum” when it hit the tree because of the weight of the cargo it was towing.
The truck might have been hit by a falling limb or by the tree itself, which Altieri described as “absolutely tremendous” with feeder branches measuring 15 inches in diameter. Whether Scharschu hit the tree or was hit by a falling limb is “impossible to tell,” the captain said.
Route 32 near the scene was closed for nearly seven hours after the accident.
The Rosendale Police Department said on its Facebook page that its members “extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the friends, family and all fellow firefighters in their loss of Captain Justin J. Scharschu today.”
Other emergency response agencies in the region also posted condolences online.