By Ivan Pereira
City Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton) has been hospitalized following a car accident in upstate New York Saturday afternoon, a staff member who was in the car told the TimesLedger.
Donovan Richards, Sanders’ district manager, said he was with the councilman and a driver when their vehicle slipped on a wet highway road near Newburgh, hit a divider and flipped. Sanders and his staff were scouting a location for a proposed program that would take troubled youth from southeast Queens to a special retreat house, according to Richards.
“I was reading the newspaper at the time, and he seemed to lose control,” he said of the unidentified driver, who was not seriously hurt.
Sanders and his district manager were rushed to St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh and the councilman was placed in intensive care, according to Richards. The councilman was later transferred to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he was still recovering as of Monday night.
Richards had suffered a cut to his head and had to get stitches. He was released from St. Luke’s and was recuperating at home.
He said he did not know the extent of the councilman’s injuries, but said Sanders was set to be released from the hospital Tuesday morning. Sanders has been representing the 31st Council district, which includes Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, Rosedale and the Rockaways, since 2002.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
