A heartbreaking road accident in upstate New York has claimed the lives of four people, including members of the same family, leaving the Bangladeshi-American community in deep mourning. In a single moment—perhaps due to a brief mistake or an unknown cause—a family was torn apart, several lives were lost, and countless loved ones were left devastated.
The crash occurred on Monday, April 6, at around 7:00 p.m. in Claverack, Columbia County, along State Route 9H near Van Wyck Lane. According to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, 29-year-old Nazmul M. Rubel of Loudonville was driving a 2009 Toyota Prius northbound on the highway.
He was travelling with family members and close acquaintances. The group
had been heading from New York City to Albany when the tragic incident
took place.
Authorities say that for reasons still unknown, the Prius suddenly crossed the center line and collided head-on with a southbound 2025 Toyota Crown. The impact was devastating. Rubel died at the scene, along with his 60-year-old father, Mohammad Hiramon, and 25-year-old friend, Fahim Halim. A passenger in the other vehicle, 62-year-old Julia Ritchie, was also pronounced dead at the scene.
Rubel’s younger brother, Mohammad Azmul Rabbi, said the accident has brought unimaginable grief to their family. In a single night, he lost his brother, his father, and a close family companion. “Everything ended with one phone call,” he said, describing the moment the family learned about the tragedy.
Two other passengers in the Prius were seriously injured.
Thirty-three-year-old Ratna Akter was rushed to Albany Medical Center and is currently in critical but stable condition. Most heartbreaking of all, a one-year-old baby girl, Ikra Ayat, was airlifted by LifeNet helicopter to Albany Medical Center, where she remains in the intensive care unit, fighting for her life.
The driver of the Toyota Crown, 24-year-old Luke Palvenian, was also taken to Albany Medical Center with injuries but was later treated and released.
The tragic crash has left the community stunned. Just moments before the accident, the victims were travelling together, likely talking and looking forward to reaching their destination. Now some are gone forever, while others remain hospitalized. Behind each name is a family, a story, and countless memories that will never be forgotten.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation. Deputies, investigators, and the sheriff’s accident reconstruction team are continuing to examine what led the vehicle to cross into oncoming traffic.
Meanwhile, funeral prayers for the victims are scheduled to be held on Wednesday, April 8, after the Zuhr prayer at the Baitul Aman Islamic Center in the Bronx. Family members, friends, and members of the community are expected to gather there to pay their final respects to those who lost their lives in this tragic accident.
