The driver who crashed into Mary Jane’s Dairy Bar in the Town of Newburgh on Saturday afternoon has been charged with a felony and several other crimes. The Newburgh News exclusively reported on the accident live as it unfolded (story here).
The Town of Newburgh Police Department announced today that Shayane Reynolds, age 29 of Poughkeepsie, has been charged following the accident. She was charged with felony Driving While Intoxicated; one count apiece of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the first, second and third degrees; Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle; and several Vehicle & Traffic Law violations.
Reynolds’ driver’s license was revoked following a previous drunken driving conviction, according to police.
According to police, Reynolds was traveling northbound on Route 9W in a 2015 Infiniti when she lost control of her vehicle and plowed into Mary Jane’s, a popular ice cream stand in the Middlehope section of the Town of Newburgh. At the time of the accident, Mary Jane’s was closed for the season and had been boarded up. Nobody was inside of the building.
A witness reported how the accident unfolded from start to finish. Jamie Russell reported to the Middlehope Fire Department that Reynolds was swerving toward the right side of the road before she lost control, drove onto a sidewalk, struck mailboxes, drove through a nearby nail salon’s parking lot, crossed Overlook Drive, jumped a curb, and drove into Mary Jane’s.
“Wildest thing I’ve seen in awhile and I’m just happy no one was killed,” Russell stated.
The Town of Newburgh Police Department, Middlehope Fire Department, and Town of Newburgh EMS all rushed to the scene after receiving the initial call at approximately 4:55pm on Saturday. Firefighters used rescue equipment to stabilize the building until the car was removed by a towing company.
Mary Jane’s sustained major structural damage when the car crashed through the front right corner of the building went inside. Walls were knocked down, several windows were destroyed, and a large chunk of the brick foundation crumbled to the ground. There is still no word if the building can be repaired or if it must be rebuilt.
Reynolds was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital in Newburgh, treated for minor injuries, and was released. She was issued an appearance ticket and released from police custody.
