The woman from Westchester County who was crushed by a tree during Wednesday night's severe rainstorm has been identified as the wife of a Yankees executive. Catherine Tusiani, 50, was killed when a tree collided with her car as she was driving northbound on Route 128 in Armonk, law enforcement sources said.
According to the New York Yankees' website, Catherine Tusiani's husband, Michael J. Tusiani, is the Senior Vice President of Partnership. At the time of the incident, winds were exceeding 50 mph, and Tusiani was less than a mile away from her home, CBS New York reported. Police have confirmed that she was the only occupant of the vehicle.
Unexpected Death
"Cathy was beloved by our front office staffers, who were privileged to experience and bear witness to her kindness, intelligence, sense of humor and great love for her husband, Michael, over the two-plus decades of dedicated service he has provided to the Yankee organization and the Steinbrenner family," the Yankees said in a statement.
"As we share in the pain and grief with Michael, daughters Alexa and Julia, and the entire Tusiani family, the Yankees stand with them to offer our complete support and unconditional love as we navigate this unimaginable loss," the organization added.
Byram Hills High School Principal Chris Walsh confirmed the unfortunate news of Tusiani's death in an email sent to teachers and staff members on Thursday afternoon, as obtained by the New York Post.
Julia, one of Tusiani's daughters, is currently a senior at the high school. Her older daughter, Alexa, graduated in 2021 and is pursuing studies in public relations at Boston University, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Mourning Her Sudden Death
The high school remained closed on Thursday due to multiple road closures in the area caused by the storm. In the email, Walsh said that the school would convene a voluntary staff meeting on Friday morning to equip students with the necessary support to help each other during this challenging time.
The North Castle Police Department said that the tree hit Tusiani's Toyota between School Street and Leisure Farm Drive around 5:30 p.m. during Wednesday night's storm.
Police have confirmed that she was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of the accident.
The North Castle and Westchester County Police Departments are continuing their investigation into the incident.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer extended his condolences to Tusiani's family.
"The circumstances surrounding Catherine's tragic accident serve as an unfortunate reminder of the unpredictable nature of life, particularly in the face of adverse weather conditions," he told The Post.
"In the wake of this tragedy, we will learn what we can to identify any factors that contributed to the accident and explore measures that we could take to prevent similar occurrences in the future."
