Watch: Officer safely stops wrong way driver on New York highway
HARRISON, Westchester County (WABC) -- A police officer is being hailed as a hero after he safely stopped a wrong-way driver in Westchester County that has prompted another warning about blindly following GPS instructions.
It happened Sunday morning on I-287 in Harrison, and the dramatic incident was captured by the patrol car's DashCam.
Authorities say Officer John Salov spotted the car going in the wrong direction on the exit ramp and maneuvered his vehicle to impede the 78-year-old driver before she crashed into any other cars.
Salov's actions prevented her from entering the westbound lanes of I-287.
Police say the White Plains resident was following her GPS and failed to noticed the "one way," "wrong way," and "do not enter" signs clearly posted on the service road.
"She was embarrassed," Salov said. "Upon interviewing her, it didn't appear she was under the influence of alcohol or anything like that or any medical conditions. She just took a left turn too early."
The Harrison Police Department posted the incident on their Facebook page.
The department asked that drivers use common sense when taking direction from GPS devices and urged people to keep their focus on the road.
Less than two weeks ago, also in Harrison, a wrong-way driver on I-287 crashed into a BMW and killed the 57-year-old driver and a 17-year-old passenger.
Officer Salov said that while no one can predict what would have happened had he not intervened in this latest incident, he certainly knows what could have happened.
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