A 67-year-old man from Bradford was pronounced dead at the scene of an accident on Route 63 in Bethany this morning after the car he was driving crossed the center line and struck a pickup truck.
Investigators have been unable to determine so far why the 2011 Toyota sedan driven by Gerald D. Makin crossed into oncoming traffic.
Makin was northbound.
A 2013 Ford F-150 was southbound, driven by Robert E. Moore Jr., 50, of Elba. More and his passenger, Christine Moore, 49, were both injured and were transported by Mercy EMS to UMMC.
Makin's passenger, Anna Ayers, 69, was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital.
Coroner Tom Douglas pronounced Makin dead at the scene.
A third vehicle, parked and unoccupied, was struck by Moore's truck. The driver of that truck was working on a nearby water well and saw the accident only after the vehicles struck.
A truck driver from York, Pa., witnessed the accident and provided investigators with a statement.
The accident occurred about a 1/4 mile south of Fargo Road, south of an infamous S-curve that has been the site of prior accidents. There has also been a previous accident in the curve where these cars collided, but Undersheriff Greg Walker said he doesn't believe the roadway was a factor in the accident, nor was the weather, which was warm and only slightly overcast without wind.
Walker said it's unknown if Makin had a medical issue that caused him to lose control of the sedan, nor can investigators say yet if distracted driving was a factor.
The accident is being investigated by Deputy Cory Mower. Assisting at the scene were Walker, Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble, Investigator Chris Parker, the Crash Management Team, including Sgt. Jason Saile and Sgt. Eric Seppala, the Bethany Fire Department, the Stafford Fire Department, the Pavilion Fire Department, Mercy EMS and NY State Police.
