The New York Attorney General's Office has opened an investigation into the death of a civilian after a July 5 crash involving a state corrections officer in Schuyler County.
The Office of Special Investigation is reviewing the fatal crash, which involved a New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision parole officer in Cayuta, according to Attorney General Letitia James' office.
The crash happened shortly before 5 a.m. July 5 as the parole officer was driving to work in Cayuta, the attorney general's office said. As the officer approached the intersection of state Route 224 and state Route 13, the officer's car collided with another vehicle.
A passenger in the other vehicle was taken to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. The attorney general's office did not identify the passenger in the release.
The Office of Special Investigation reviews incidents reported to it where a police officer or peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused a person's death by an act or omission. Under state law, the officer may be on duty or off duty, and the person who died may be armed or unarmed, in custody or not in custody.
If the office's assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, it proceeds with a full investigation.
The attorney general's office said the facts released so far are preliminary and subject to change.
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