Rockland Paramedic Services (RPS) has expanded its advanced life support capabilities by adding CYANOKIT®, a lifesaving antidote used to treat suspected cyanide poisoning caused by smoke inhalation during enclosed-space fires.

The medication allows paramedics to begin treatment before patients reach the hospital, improving emergency care for both residents and firefighters.

While smoke inhalation is often associated with carbon monoxide, modern house fires also produce hydrogen cyanide when synthetic materials such as furniture, plastics and electronics burn. Exposure to both toxins can quickly become life-threatening if left untreated.

Studies have found cyanide poisoning in about half of enclosed-space fire survivors and nearly 60% of fire-related fatalities, highlighting the importance of rapid treatment.

RPS has placed 14 CYANOKITs throughout its fleet, ensuring the antidote is readily available across Rockland County. The investment reflects the agency’s ongoing commitment to providing advanced, evidence-based emergency medical care for the community and its first responders.

A 43-year-old Orange County man died early Tuesday after apparently stopping to help the victims of a single-vehicle crash on Palisades Center Drive in West Nyack, according to the Clarkstown Police Department.

Police said officers responded to the crash at approximately 1:20 a.m. on July 28, near Home Depot, after receiving reports of a vehicle that had left the roadway.

When officers arrived, they found a green Toyota Camry that had struck a guardrail, crashed through a fence, and overturned onto its driver’s side.

Both occupants had exited the vehicle before police arrived. A 32-year-old male passenger told officers he had freed himself from the wreck and that the 18-year-old female driver was no longer inside the vehicle. He also reported that a passing motorist had stopped to help but was unsure where the man had gone.

While searching the area, officers heard the driver calling for help from below a retaining wall approximately 30 to 40 feet beneath the roadway in an area of dense vegetation.

Responding officers, assisted by members of the West Nyack Fire Department, accessed the embankment and safely rescued the injured driver. They also located an unresponsive adult male.

The man, identified only as a 43-year-old resident of Maybrook in Orange County, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the preliminary investigation, the man was a Good Samaritan who stopped after witnessing the crash. Investigators believe he approached the edge of the retaining wall after hearing the driver calling for help and accidentally fell down the embankment, suffering fatal injuries.

His identity has not been released pending notification of his family.

“The Clarkstown Police Department extends its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the department said in a statement.

The driver and passenger of the Toyota were treated at the scene and transported by Rockland Paramedic Services and Nyack Community Ambulance Corps to local hospitals for evaluation.

Following the preliminary investigation, the 18-year-old driver, who is from Carmel, was arrested and charged with:

• Driving While Intoxicated (misdemeanor); and
• Additional New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law violations related to the crash.

She was released on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in Clarkstown Justice Court at a later date.

The Clarkstown Police Department’s Accident Investigation Unit continues to investigate the incident. Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information is asked to contact the Clarkstown Police Department at (845) 639-5800.

A criminal complaint is an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.