By Myrek Zastavnyi

WALLKILL — An 18-year-old Ossining man was killed Monday morning in a two-vehicle crash on Route 17 in the Town of Wallkill that shut down the highway for several hours and brought New York State Police collision investigators to the scene.

New York State Police identified the victim Tuesday as Kevin C. Zhagui-Morocho, 18, of Ossining. He was a passenger in a 2019 Ford involved in the Aug. 31 crash near Exit 120.

According to State Police, troopers from the Middletown and Greenville barracks responded at approximately 6:55 a.m. to a report of a two-vehicle collision on Route 17 westbound.

Police said the Ford was traveling west as a 2025 Mack truck was merging onto the highway from the right shoulder. For reasons that remain under investigation, the Ford moved from the left travel lane into the right lane and struck the rear of the Mack truck.

Zhagui-Morocho was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Ford, identified as Jorge A. Jarama-Barreto, 28, also of Ossining, was injured and transported to Garnet Health Medical Center. State Police described his injuries as non-life-threatening.

The driver of the Mack truck, Chad S. Rannels, 50, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was not injured.

The collision occurred near Exit 120, in the busy Route 17 corridor around Route 211 and the Interstate 84 interchange. Early traffic reports placed the incident near Exit 120E for Wickham Avenue and Route 211 East. Both westbound lanes were closed while emergency crews worked and investigators processed the scene.

The closure caused significant Monday-morning traffic disruptions. Route 17 westbound remained closed for several hours before State Police confirmed that the highway had reopened at approximately 12:15 p.m.

Members of the New York State Police Troop F Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit and Collision Reconstruction Unit responded to assist with the investigation.

As of Tuesday, police had not announced any charges or publicly determined why the Ford moved from the left lane into the right lane immediately before the collision. The investigation remains ongoing.

State Police are asking anyone who personally witnessed the crash to contact the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Middletown at 845-344-5300.

The crash claimed the life of a young man just 18 years old and turned one of Orange County’s busiest commuting corridors into the scene of a lengthy investigation on the final day of August.

Additional information will be reported as it becomes available.