A Long Island doctor, Dr. Monika Woroniecka, 58, tragically fell out of a moving trailer on a highway and passed away while en route to upstate New York with her family to view the solar eclipse, authorities confirmed.

Dr. Woroniecka, a pediatrician specializing in immunology at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, was traveling in a 2024 Airstream trailer with family members during the final 20 minutes of their journey to witness the eclipse, according to a news release from the New York State Police. Her husband, Robert Woroniecki, was driving the pickup truck pulling the trailer.

As they were traveling west on Route 12E in the town of Brownville, the trailer’s door was blown open by the wind, causing Dr. Woroniecka to be ejected from the trailer, the police reported.

Tragically, Dr. Woroniecka struck her head on the roadside shoulder and was subsequently transported to a hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

Dr. Susan Schuval, chief of pediatric allergy and immunology at Stony Brook, expressed condolences in a statement, noting that Dr. Woroniecka was admired for her calm demeanor, kindness, and unwavering commitment to her patients.

It is important to note that riding in a “house coach trailer” while hitched to a vehicle on the road is prohibited under state law.