A local man who beat the odds and survived stage four cancer was killed in a horrific car accident in the Town of Newburgh.
The Newburgh News first reported on the accident when it occurred on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at approximately 3:00pm (story here). The accident occurred on Rock Cut Road between Route 17K and Route 52 when a pickup truck reportedly struck a tree.
At the time, three patients were seriously injured in the accident.
Brian J. Fowler, age 49 of Modena, was airlifted by a medevac from LifeNet and taken to Westchester County Medical Center in serious condition. He passed away from his injuries later that day.
At least two other people were seriously injured in the accident. There have been no updates regarding their conditions. The cause of the accident is being investigated.
Fowler was a grandfather of two young children. He also enjoyed riding his motorcycle with his sons.
In 2018, Fowler was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. It spread to his liver, stomach, lungs, lymph nodes, and brain. At the time, doctors told him he only had two years to live, but Fowler said, “I’m beating that.”
Fowler lived with cancer for five years until he succumbed to the injuries he sustained from the car accident.
“We are all devastated by this tremendous loss,” the family wrote in a statement. “It was sudden and unexpected and it has been very hard for us to come to terms with. As you can imagine, we were not mentally, emotionally, or financially prepared for this.”
The family is collecting money to help pay for the funeral services. Anyone wishing to donate can do so on GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/gjhz7f-in-loving-memory-of-brian?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_term=undefined
