Airstream says the Long Island pediatrician who died by falling from a moving trailer should never have sat in the back with her daughter while her husband dragged them to a solar eclipse outing
Airstream said it was “saddened” to learn of the death of a pedestrian on Long Island who fell from a camper while driving on a New York freeway, but insisted she should not have rear-ended the vehicle to start.
Monika Woroniecka, 58, died Saturday after falling from an Airstream being pulled by her husband who was driving a truck. She was in the camper and was thrown from the vehicle in front of her shocked family on their way to view the solar eclipse.
The New York State Police continue to investigate the incident.
“Airstream is saddened to hear about the death of Dr. Monika Woroniecka on April 6, 2024, and our deepest condolences go out to her family, friends and community,” the company said in a statement to DailyMail.com
‘Airstream travel trailers are not designed to carry passengers while in motion. The safety protocol outlined in Airstream operating manuals and shared on the Airstream website advises owners that they cannot tow an Airstream with people inside. Many states prohibit carrying passengers in a travel trailer or fifth wheel, and we advise owners to consult their state’s Department of Motor Vehicles for current regulations.”
Monika Woroniecka, 58, died Saturday after falling from an Airstream being pulled by her husband who was driving a truck. Airstream officials said they were saddened to hear of her death, but stressed that people should not be in a moving RV
She was in the silver 2024 Airstream when the family was traveling along State Route 12E and the door suddenly flew open in a gust of wind
The scene on State Route 12E near Brownville, New York, on Saturday afternoon
It is illegal to tow passengers in an Airstream in New York State, and it is something the company warns against.
According to New York State Trooper Sgt. Jack Keller, Woroniecka and her daughter Helena decided to drive the last 20 minutes of their trip in the $130,000 Airstream camper.
They had just stopped for ice cream as they drove into the state from their home on Long Island. Woroniecka’s husband, Richard, was driving a truck and pulling the Airstream along Route 12 E in Brownville.
Witnesses behind the Airstream claimed they saw the passenger side door of the Airstream open, and Woroniecka’s arm hanging from the door after the wind caused the door to swing ajar.
The police are continuing to investigate the gruesome incident.
‘I haven’t had many incidents like this. We are still trying to determine how and why the door opened,” Keller said.
On Monday, no one opened the door at the Woroniecka residence. Antipas, who lives next door to the family, was devastated because she had no idea it was the neighbor and only learned about it when a media outlet told her about the tragedy.
Neighbor Maria Antipas said they would look after each other’s houses while they were traveling and that she had a key to their house.
“They just left,” she remembered. “They got an Airstream a few months ago and they’ve been going on little trips. I look after their house when they’re away, and they do the same for me.’
Her husband Robert, 59, (left) was driving the pickup and pulling the caravan in which Woroniecka (right) was driving. They are pictured with one of their daughters who may have been with them on the journey.
Dr. Woroniecka (far left) poses with her family
Dr. Woroniecka has three daughters, including Alexandra (left) and Helena (right), who was traveling with her
She said the day they left, her husband walked the dog and watched Woroniecka and her husband Robert prepare their truck and Airstream. They told them they were going upstate to watch the eclipse and meet their daughter.
Richard, a kidney doctor in Stonybrook, and his wife had moved into the house on Dogwood Drive in Stonybrook six or seven years ago.
She said the couple was outdoors and has three grown daughters who are all very smart. One lives with her family in Virginia, the other is a musician living in New York, and the third daughter is studying medicine in Arizona and getting married this summer.
She told DailyMail.com that she remembered the day Richard drove the Airstream home.
“It was shiny,” she remembered. “They were so excited to get it.”
Maria said the last time she saw Woroniecka was the day before she left. She was walking her dogs and they waved to each other.
Devastated, she repeated: “I can’t believe something like this happened. It’s so tragic.’
“The safety protocol outlined in the Airstream owner’s manuals and shared on the Airstream website advises owners that they should not tow an Airstream with people inside,” Airstream, led by CEO Bob Wheeler, said in a statement.
The family appears to have been riding in a new 2024 Airstream Bambi 16RB
The carefully designed, relatively small camper is sixteen feet long and can accommodate four people
The cost of the brand new model starts at $60,400
In New York State, it is illegal to drive a moving trailer without a fifth wheel. Airstream manufacturers also warn against driving the RV while it is in motion
Dr. Woroniecka was a pediatric allergy and immunology specialist at Stony Brook Medicine, where she worked for more than twenty years.
She treated children with food, environmental, drug and bee sting allergies, childhood asthma and skin conditions such as eczema and hives.
‘Dr. Woroniecka enjoys traveling, hiking, exercising and spending time with family and friends,” according to her work profile.
She grew up in Poland and attracted Polish-speaking patients from across the region, it added.