CAPE VINCENT, NY – A fatal accident en route to watch an eclipse in Cape Vincent resulted in the untimely death of Dr. Monika Woroniecka, 58. According to RV company Airstream, the fatal incident was a result of a violation of the company’s safety protocol as Woroniecka was inside the trailer while it was being towed.
In a public statement, Airstream clarified that their travel trailers were not designed to carry passengers while in motion. The company further emphasized that its safety protocol, explicitly outlined in the operating manuals and on its website, advises against towing with passengers inside.
The unfortunate incident happened around 3 p.m. on Saturday, on State Route 12E. Witnesses report that the side door of the RV was open, with Woroniecka’s arm dangling out as she attempted to close it. The subsequent force threw Woroniecka from the trailer and onto the road.
Before the accident, Woroniecka, her husband Robert, and their daughter Helena, were all riding in the family’s 2019 Ford pickup truck. After an ice cream stop, roughly 20 minutes from their AirBnB, Woroniecka and Helena decided to ride in the 2024 model RV owned by the family.
Helena recalled her mother trying to secure the trailer’s passenger side door moments before the unfortunate accident occurred. State police Sgt. Jack Keller stated that Woroniecka ended up hitting her head on the road median and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Samaritan Medical Center.
Woroniecka, a Poland-born pediatric allergist and immunologist, worked at Stony Brook Medicine. She was a beloved mother of three adult daughters and a well-respected figure in her Long Island community.