Police: Drunk Hudson Valley Man Charged For Fatal Head-On Crash

A Hudson Valley man is accused of driving drunk and causing a fatal head-on crash which killed a young local man.

On Saturday, Montgomery police requested the help of New York State Police to investigate a fatal car crash. The investigation revealed that 32-year-old Dennis Wilson Jr. of Walden was driving west on Route 52 in a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, just west of Rider Road, when he crossed over the double yellow lines and hit a 2006 Hyundai Accent head-on, police say.

The driver of the Hyundai, 28-year-old Jason G. Exley of Walden was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wilson was taken to St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh. He remains there where he is being treated for non-life threatening injuries, officials say.

As police continued their investigation they allege that Wilson was drunk at the time of the crash. He was charged with vehicular manslaughter, a felony, driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, and refusal to submit to a chemical test.

Wilson was arraigned from his hospital bed and remanded to the custody of the Orange County Sheriff Office in lieu of $50,000 cash bail or $75,000 bond upon his release from the hospital.

He is due in Town of Montgomery Court on March 8.

Our thoughts and prays are with the family and friends of Jason.

Assisting at the scene were the Town of Montgomery Police Department, Village of Walden Police Department, Walden Fire Department, Mobil Life, Troop F Collision Reconstruction Unit and Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office.