pembroke

Anneka Pray, the 18-year-old Pembroke graduate who was critically injured a week ago in a motor vehicle accident near Syracuse, is making "amazing progress," according to Tracy Rudolph.

Rudolph is the organizer of a GoFundMe.com page set up to assist Pray and her family following the accident.

Pray, who has been blind since birth, sustained a traumatic brain injury.

Rudolph writes: "She was heavily sedated and minimally responsive last Friday. Today, she has been moved out of the ICU to a bed on the pediatric floor. Anneka is eating, drinking, talking and walking. She will be transferred to neurology rehab next week. This progress is possible because of your prayers. Thank you for praying faithfully for Anneka's brain recovery. Please keep praying for recovery with her brain, fractured skull and carotid artery—blessings to all of you."

Previously: Pembroke graduate critically injured in Thruway accident near Syracuse

Pembroke's season in Girls Basketball came to a close on Wednesday with a second-round loss in Section V Class C1 to Cuba-Rushford, 49-42.

Scoring for the Lady Dragons:

• Jayden Bridge, 16 points, 11 rebounds
• Addison Heidrick, 17 points

Photos by Kristin Smith. 

A 17-year-old Corfu resident was killed Sunday evening after a bicycle he was riding on Tesnow Road in the town of Alabama was struck by a vehicle and the youth was ejected from the bike.

Arthur G. Breton, III, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Breton was riding his bike north in the northbound lane in the area of 7824 Tesnow Road at 6:38 p.m. when he was struck.

Daphne C. Sundown, 37, of Basom, with her son as a passenger, were also northbound on Tesnow, driving a 2022 black Chevy Blazer, when the vehicle crested a hill over a knoll in the road, according to the Sheriff's Office. Sundown was unable to see Breton and struck his bike with the front driver side of her vehicle. 

Sundown and her son immediately exited her vehicle and began rendering aid while calling 9-1-1.  

Alabama Fire and Pembroke Fire departments personnel, along with Mercy EMS, responded to the scene and performed life-saving measures. Breton succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

Drugs and alcohol have been ruled out as a factor in the accident.

The crash is being investigated by members of the Sheriff's Office along with the Crash Management Team.

Besides emergency responders, several bystanders assisted at the scene.

UPDATE: Superintendent Matthew Calderon confirmed that Breton was a senior at Pembroke High School.  He sent the following message to the school community:

I am writing to share difficult news.

Last night, one of our high school students, Arthur Bretan III, was struck by a car while riding his bicycle, and he died as a result of the accident.  Arthur was well-liked by many and enjoyed his participation in band.  Today and this week, our district’s Trauma, Illness & Grief Team will be implementing a support plan for students and staff.  Specially trained grief counselors are onsite to assist.  This morning during first period, we informed all junior-senior high school students about Arthur's death to provide correct information and to inform them how and where to get support throughout the day if they need support.

We encourage students to remain at school where they can access grief support services.  If students ask to go home, we strongly suggest that they be supervised by adults, who can best provide guidance and support during this difficult time.  There will be a variety of emotional and/or behavioral responses, and it is normal to experience feelings of disbelief, sadness, anger, confusion or even numbness when learning about a loss such as this.  Our children will benefit from our extra love and support to process this difficult news.  The link below may provide some helpful information to assist you:

Guidelines for Supporting Your Child During Grief

Our community always comes together to love and support one another through these hard times, and I am confident we will be there for each other once again.

An 18-year-old graduate of Pembroke High School, who recently made the Dean's List at the University at Albany, was critically injured in a four-vehicle accident on the Thruway in the town of Salina, according to State Police.

According to Troopers, Anneka Pray was a front-seat passenger in a 2016 Jeep Compass driven by Christopher Baker, 22, of South Glens Falls.

According to the initial investigation, a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado, operated by Christopher J. Hernandez, 23, of Newark, lost control and swerved, causing a Ford F-550, driven by Barry J. Darling, 41, of Solvay, to brake and exit the north shoulder of the roadway to avoid a collision.

The Jeep rear-ended the Ford F-550 and partially entered the passing, where is was struck by a westbound Freightliner tractor-trailer operated by Sarjo Drammeh, 35, of Wisconsin. 

The tractor-trailer fled the scene but was later located at the Seneca Service Area on the Thruway.

Pray, who has been blind since birth, participated in cross country at Pembroke and was praised by her teachers for knowing what she wanted and going for it.

“Anneka advocates well for herself,” Chelsea Hale, the vision teacher at Pembroke, told The Batavian in 2018. “She wants to be as independent as possible.”

She also participated in three musicals while at Pembroke.

Pray is listed in critical condition at Upstate University Hospital.

Baker, in serious condition, was also transported to Upstate. Darling sustained minor injuries and was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital.

The accident was reported at 6:08 a.m. on Friday in the area of mile marker 284.8.

The investigation is continuing, according to State Police.

A GoFundMe.com page has been set up to assist Pray and her family. According to the page, Pray suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Alexander beat Pembroke in Boys Basketball on Thursday 60-43.

The win pushed the Trojan's record to 16-4, and the program clinched its first Genesee Region title in Division I since 2019.  

The Trojans are the #2 seed heading into the Section V C1 tournament.

• Dylan Pohl, 30 points, 13 rebounds
• Austin Wakefield, 11 points, 5 assists
• Kingston Woods, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists 

For Pembroke:

• Jayden Bridge, 13 points
• Nolan Peterson, 8 points
• Caleb Felski, 8 points

Photos by Melissa Brooks.

After holding the Dragons scoreless in the first quarter, Wilson beat Pembroke 39-23 at GCC on Friday on the first day of the Genesee Region vs. Niagara/Orleans Showcase.

Jayden Hootman scored 11 points and had seven steals for Pembroke.

Abby Faery lead Wilson with 13 points.

Photos by Kristin Smith.

Cole DiQuattro has a three-pointer with 4.8 seconds left in the game to give Byron-Bergen a 54-51 win over Pembroke  in Boys Basketball on Wednesday.

For the Bees:

• Cole DiQuattro 21 points
• Cody Carlson 11 points
• Noah Clare 13 points

Pembroke:

• Jayden Bridge 13 points, 11 rebounds
• Owen Shultz 12 points

 Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro

Richard James Burdick, 46, of Clinton Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a narcotic drug with intent to sell, criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd, and aggravated unlicensed driver. Burdick was stopped at 6:22 p.m. on Jan. 30 on Clinton Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun. Burdick was allegedly found in possession of 62 grams of cocaine. He was held pending arraignment.

Teresa K. Hillin, 41, of Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th, driving without insurance, and driving a vehicle without an inspection sticker; Peter Dercqu, 46, of Lyndonville, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th; and Steven Hadden, 43, of Pembroke, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance 7th. Hillin was reportedly the driver of a vehicle stopped by a deputy at 2:25 a.m. on Jan. 29 in Pembroke. Deputies reportedly found cocaine in the vehicle. All three occupants were processed at the Genesee County and Released.

Brevin J. Mast, 27, of Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd and two counts of menacing, 2nd. Mast allegedly threatened two people on Jan. 15 at a location on Trumbull Parkway, Batavia. He was jailed following his arrest.

Tyler James Bull, 22, of West Main Street Road, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 2nd. Bull, who is incarcerated, is accused of calling a person 142 times in violation an order of protection. he was arrested on Jan. 15. He was scheduled for arraignment.

Jacob Herbert Tillotson, 25, of Walker Road, Pavilion, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, and moving from lane unsafely. Tillotson was stopped at 8:58 p.m. on Jan. 17 on Linwood Road, Le Roy, by Deputy Zachary Hoy. He was issued traffic tickets and released.

Julie Lynn Dutton, 29, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and criminal mischief 4th. Dutton is accused of stealing and damaging property from the La Quinta Inn & Suites at 8200 Park Road, Batavia. She was held at the Genesee County Jail pending arraignment. Dutton was also arrested by Batavia PD on Jan. 15 and charged with two counts of petit larceny. She is accused of shoplifting from Tops. She was arraigned and held.

Jordan Nicholas Wieseltier, 43, of Route 20, Pavilion, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Wieseltier was stopped at 6 p.m. on Jan. 20 on West Main Road, Le Roy, by Deputy Nicholas Chamoun.

Sergiy Borkowski, 44, of Branch Street, Rochester, is charged with felony DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, and moving from lane unsafely. Borkowski was reportedly involved in a one-car motor vehicle accident at 9:22 p.m. on Jan. 9 on Reuben Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, and arrested by Deputy Matthew Wesolowski following an investigation. He was processed at the Genesee County Jail and released.

William Stanley Pyszczek, 72, of Pembroke, is charged with menacing 2nd and harassment 2nd. Pyszczek is accused of brandishing a knife and threatening the life of another person at 1:57 a.m. on Jan. 27 at a location on South Lake Road, Pembroke. Pyszczek was held pending arraignment.

Joseph Michael Degweck, Jr., 52, of Pine Street, East Aurora, is charged with criminal contempt 1st. Degweck is accused of violating a stay-away order of protection at 1:20 p.m. on Jan. 24 while incarcerated at the Genesee County Jail. He allegedly made third-party contact with the protected party.  He was scheduled for arraignment at a later date.

Bryan Francis Walczak, 42, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI and moving from lane unsafely. Walczak was stopped at 11:43 p.m. on Jan. 26 on Alexander Road, Alexander, after the Sheriff's Office received a report of an erratic driver from a witness. Walczak was held pending arraignment.

Michael J. Difalco, 37, of Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt 1st, resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration 2nd, and harassment 2nd. Difalco was allegedly involved in a disturbance on South Main Street on Jan. 9. He is accused of violating an order of protection. He allegedly fled on foot when officers attempted to take him into custody. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed.

Joseph W. Freeman, 40, of Batavia, is charged with trespass. Freeman was allegedly on the property of the Budget Inn on Oak Street after previously being told he wasn't allowed on the property. He was issued an appearance ticket.

Joseph Hagen, 41, of Batavia, is charged with DWI. Hagan was reportedly involved in a motor vehicle accident on Jan. 9 on Highland Park, Batavia. His vehicle reportedly struck multiple objects. He was issued traffic tickets and released.

Sean M. Conway, 47, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Conway is accused of shoplifting from Harbor Freight on Dec. 17. He was arrested on Jan. 11. He was arraigned and released.

Michael R Marchese, 34, of Honeoye Falls, is charged with DWI. Marchese is accused of driving a vehicle on Nov. 6 at an undisclosed location in Batavia that struck a tree, light pole, and another vehicle, before leaving the scene. Marchese was issued multiple traffic tickets on Jan. 9.

Notre Dame improved to 11-4 on Monday on Tuesday with a 53-37 win over Pembroke in Girls Basketball.

Sofia Falleti led the way for the Irish with a game-high 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Lucia Fiorentino also contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds.

“This was a big Genesee Region match-up for us tonight," said Coach VInny Falleti. "We knew Pembroke was a good team and could shoot well. Our team did a great job defensively and was able to have the majority of our team contribute offensively as well.”

Photos by Jaden Radam (Notre Dame student)