New York Rabbi Among 5 Killed in Ice-Related Crashes, Pileups

Dovid Winiarz of Staten Island died in Maryland crash, state police said.

ByABC News
January 19, 2015, 5:35 AM

— -- A New York rabbi is among five people who died Sunday morning in East Coast accidents blamed on freezing rain, Maryland State Police confirmed.

The fatal accident happened after 8 a.m. along Maryland Route 23 in Harford County, when the driver of a Honda CR-V lost control and crossed the center lane, striking a Honda Pilot headed in the opposite direction, police said. Dovid Winiarz of Staten Island, a passenger in the CR-V, was identified as the victim.

Four others involved in the accident were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, Maryland State Police said. State Highway Administration officials blamed an unexpected band of freezing rain on the crash.

PHOTO: A reflection from a car side mirror near I76, "Massive clean up. Emergency responders are directing us out of here," Jan. 18, 2015.
A reflection from a car side mirror near I76, "Massive clean up. Emergency responders are directing us out of here," Jan. 18, 2015.

At least four others were killed in accidents blamed on the freezing rain – three in Pennsylvania and one death reported in Connecticut. The identities of those crash victims are not known.

Injuries were also reported in a pileup involving at least 27 vehicles on Interstate 76 north of Philadelphia, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. All lanes of the highway were closed.

PHOTO: An overturned car on Rt 9 between Peekskill and Cold Spring, NY, Jan. 18, 2015.
An overturned car on Rt 9 between Peekskill and Cold Spring, NY, Jan. 18, 2015.

In Connecticut, police say an elderly woman died this morning after a crash caused by slippery conditions.

In New Jersey, state police reported more than 400 accidents, comparing roads to skating rinks in a tweet.

The icy conditions left bridges and tunnels closed, forcing lengthy delays for drivers. Similar conditions created a huge pileup in Oregon the day before.