Matt Spillane

mspillane@lohud.com

YORKTOWN - A Dutchess County man died Sunday night when he crashed on the Taconic State Parkway in Yorktown.

William Smith, 71, was driving north when his 2003 Ford Taurus hit a guardrail around 7:40 p.m., said Trooper Melissa McMorris, a state police spokeswoman.

Smith's daughter, Shelly Smith-Winters, said her father had a heart attack while driving. She said her mother, who was in the passenger's seat, grabbed the steering wheel and was able to stop the car against the guardrail.

McMorris said the car struck the center median before veering back across three lanes and hitting the guardrail off the shoulder. Smith-Winters said a Good Samaritan named Julie Miller stopped and performed CPR on her father until first responders arrived.

Smith, who lived in Hopewell Junction, a hamlet in the town of East Fishkill, was taken to Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt, where he was pronounced dead, McMorris said. Smith-Winters said her mother was not injured.

Smith's was the only car involved in the crash. McMorris said Smith may have had a medical emergency while driving, but the cause of the crash remains under investigation pending autopsy results.

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Twitter: @MattSpillane