The New York State Police are remembering one of their own today on the ninth anniversary of the death of a young Trooper who was seriously injured while saving victims from a local plane crash.
Trooper Winston I. Martindale, Jr., of Middletown, was assigned to the State Police barracks in New Hampton. On May 9, 2011, he was one of the first responding units to arrive on the scene of two planes that had crashed in Wawayanda near Exit 3 of Interstate 84 in Orange County.
Martindale immediately sprung into action and attempted to free the two pilots from the wreckage. While rescuing them, Martindale fell onto a piece of equipment and suffered internal injuries. Despite being hurt, he continued working diligently to rescue the pilots.
Several hours later, it was determined that Martindale had suffered severe internal injuries. He underwent several surgeries over the next two years. On July 24, 2013, he succumbed to those injuries at the young age of 40.
Martindale was born in Guyana and came to the United States with his family in 1989. He left behind his wife of 19 years, as well as a son and daughter, his siblings, and both of his parents.
Trooper Martindale proudly served in the United States Army for 18 years, including a deployment during Operation Enduring Freedom. He was a seven year veteran of the New York State Police.
