Man impaled by fence expected to recover

HUDSON — A Hudson man is expected to make a full recovery after he was impaled on a metal fence, police said Monday.

The incident brought city police and fire officials to the fence to the front of 809 Warren St. at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Emergency personnel arrived to find William Griffiths, 63, impaled on the fence in his right shoulder, Hudson Police Chief L. Edward Moore said Monday.

Griffiths was walking his large German shepherd when he lost his balance and fell on the wrought iron, knee-high fence, Moore said.

Griffiths was airlifted to Albany Medical Center with a piece of the fence still attached to his shoulder. The section of fence was to be removed at the hospital, police said.

“They had to keep the fence with him,” Hudson Fire Chief Anthony DeMarco Jr. said Saturday. “We cut around the fence to help him get off.”

Griffiths is expected to make a full recovery, Moore said Monday, adding he did not know if the man had been released from the hospital.

Warren Street was closed from Worth Avenue to Park Place during the incident. Griffiths was airlifted to the hospital about an hour after emergency personnel arrived.

Greenport Rescue was the first to arrive on the scene. The Hudson Fire Department helped cut the fence to free Griffiths.

To reach reporter Amanda Purcell, call 518-828-1616 ext. 2500, or send an email to apurcell@thedailymail.net, or tweet to @amandajpurcell.