Westerlo boy killed in Berne bulldozer accident 

HILLTOWNS — An 8-year-old Westerlo boy was killed Sunday morning, May 17, in an accident involving a bulldozer and an ATV in Berne, Patrol Station Commander J.T. Campbell of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office told The Enterprise.

The man operating the bulldozer at 1353 Thatcher Park Road was in the boy’s family, said Campbell, who did not release names.

The operator had gone missing Sunday morning but was located and brought to a “safe place,” Campbell said; he has not been charged.

Campbell said that a 5-year-old family member witnessed the accident and is now with family.

“This is all still under investigation,” Campbell explained. “We’re not releasing much right now.”

The 8-year-old was a second-grader at Berne-Knox-Westerlo, Superintendent Timothy Mundell wrote in a release on Monday. He said that the district’s crisis team and grief counselors are available for anyone who needs them, despite the coronavirus closure of school. ​

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More Hilltowns News

  • This year, Hilltown residents will vote in a majority-number of town board members in each town, including Berne, where all five seats will be open due to the number of vacancies that need to be filled. 

  • The town of Rensselaerville appointed Jason Wood as deputy highway superintendent after the previous one, Warren Bashwinger, was let go for undisclosed reasons. 

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