accident

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.

The State Police report that a 54-year-old woman from Batavia died in a head-on collision on Route 98 in Alexander on Sunday.

Anya R. Rambuski was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident was reported at about noon on Sunday.

According to troopers, Rambuski lost control of her 2016 Buick Encore, which was traveling northeast, and struck a 2021 Jeep Cherokee that was traveling southwest on Alexander Road.

The driver of the Jeep, whose name was not released, sustained minor injuries.

The NYSP Collision Reconstruction Unit and Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisted in this investigation.

Batavia PD is investigating a personal injury accident involving two juvenile pedestrians that occurred Saturday at 6:15 at West Main Street and Oak Street.

The youths had serious but non-life threatening injuries and both were transport by Mercy EMS to Strong Memorial Hospital.

The driver of the vehicle is cooperating with police, the department said in a statement. 

They're asking anyone with information about the incident or video footage to contact Sgt. Arick Perkins at 585-345-6350.

A semi-truck, with a NYS-licensed escort, carrying a large load and traveling north on Ellicott Street, struck the CSX overpass on the south side of Batavia late Thursday afternoon.

It's unclear if the impact caused the load to shift or just broke the plywood container around the item being hauled on the trailer.

At the time The Batavian was on scene, a crew was attempting to remove the box. The plan was to check the cargo and then if the truck could be safely backed up, and with Chapin's permission, park the trailer in Chapin's parking lot while the crew assessed the best way to proceed.

According to an officer on scene, the lead driver attempted to warn the truck driver to stop, but there was possibly an issue with the radios.

Batavia PD was on scene to take a report and direct traffic. Ellicott Street by the overpass is reduced to one lane while the accident is cleared.

Photos by Howard Owens.

A hunter who heard a crash victim's screams called 9-1-1 leading to a response from Le Roy Fire, Le Roy Ambulance, and Le Roy PD, according to a release from the police department.

An unidentified 61-year-old resident of Brockport was seriously injured after he apparently lost control of his motorcycle at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday on Circular Hill Road, Le Roy.  

The driver's motorcycle had left the roadway and would not have been visible to any passersby, according to police.

Le Roy Officers Trerrez Smith and Sgt. Jordan Wolcott were first on scene.  They administered life-saving measures, including the application of a tourniquet to stop serious bleeding. 

The operator was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital by Mercy Flight. He is listed in critical condition, according to Le Roy PD. 

"We would like to sincerely thank the hunter for his quick action in calling 9-1-1," said Chief Greg Kellogg.  "His timely response was crucial; without it, the operator could have remained undiscovered for an unknown period.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation but preliminary indicates the driver failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway.

Photos courtesy Le Roy PD.

A 44-year-old man from Batavia was ejected from his pickup truck while still belted in his seat as the result of a collision on Friday in the Town of Le Roy.

Gregory Baker was transported by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The accident was reported at 7:32 a.m. on Friday at Griswold Road and West Bergen Road.

According to a preliminary investigation by the Sheriff's Office, Baker was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 eastbound on Griswold when he apparently failed to stop for a stop sight. The truck collided with a 2005 Kenworth tractor-trailer driven by Richard McCullough, 29, of Le Roy.

Neither McCullough nor the child in the semi-trailer was injured in the accident.

The accident is still under investigation.

Assisting the Sheriff's Office at the scene were State Police, Le Roy PD, Le Roy Fire, Mercy EMS, and Le Roy Ambulance Service.

A serious injury accident is reported in the area of 8715 Lake Street Road, Le Roy.

Two Mercy Flight helicopters are responding to the scene.

Traffic is shut down in the area.

Le Roy Fire and Mercy EMS are on scene.

UPDATE 11:25 a.m.: Le Roy Fire remains on scene for traffic control. The rest of the assignment is back in service. Two patients sustained serious injuries and a third had a hand injury.

UPDATE, Press release from Le Roy PD:

On Sept. 15 at 9:36 a.m., the LeRoy Police Department responded to a two-car motor vehicle accident with injuries on State Route 19 in the Village of Le Roy.

An initial investigation determined that Isamanda Johnson, age 31, was operating a 2023 Ford pickup truck and collided head-on with a 2024 Chevrolet Suburban, operated by Gary L. Deibler, age 78, of North Chili. The Ford pickup truck operator left her lane of travel in an attempt to pass an uninvolved vehicle and collided head-on in the northbound lane with the Chevrolet SUV heading northbound.

Gary L. Deibler was transported from the scene to Strong Memorial Hospital via Mercy Flight and is in critical condition.

Isamanda Johnson, the operator of the Ford pickup truck, was transported from the scene by Mercy EMS to Strong Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A passenger in the Ford pickup truck was transported from the scene via Mercy Flight and is in critical condition.

The Le Roy Police Department is handling the investigation in conjunction with members of the New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit.

Anyone who may have witnessed the accident or has any additional info is urged to contact the LeRoy Police Department at 585-345-6350 or info@leroypolice.org

A 20-year-old Rochester man died on Saturday evening after a motorcycle he was driving collided head-on with a passenger vehicle on Route 33 in Stafford.

Michael J. Ciarpelli was pronounced dead at the scene by a Genesee County Coroner.

According to the Sherriff's Office, the preliminary investigation indicts that Ciarpelli was driving a 2007 black Yamaha motorcycle westbound on Route 33 when he attempted to pass two vehicles in front of him.

A 2024 white Ford Edge was turning left off Griswold Road and began traveling east on Route 33. As Ciarpelli attempted to pass both vehicles, he collided with the Edge head-on in the eastbound travel lane. Ciarpelli was ejected from the motorcycle, and his body came to rest on the north shoulder of Route 33.

The Edge was driven by Luanne E. Andrews, 76, of West Henrietta. Her passenger was Colleen L. O'Mara, 67, of West Henrietta.  The Sheriff's Office provided no information about injuries if any to Andrews or O'Mara.

Sgt. Andrew Hale, Sgt. Richard Schildwaster, Investigator Kevin Forsyth, and deputies Joshua Brabon and Jacob Kipler are investigating the crash. The Byron and South Byron fire departments, Stafford Fire, and Mercy EMS assisted at the scene.

An accident involving an ambulance with a patient aboard has been reported at Route 98 and Batavia Elba Townline Road, Elba.

The ambulance is reportedly the vehicle that rolled over.

Elba Fire, Town of Batavia Fire, and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 3:08 p.m. by Joanne Beck: Mercy Flight is being dispatched and a landing zone is being set up.

UPDATE: Preliminary information available at the scene: The ambulance was northbound, and the sedan was eastbound.  No information yet on how the collision occurred. There were two people in the sedan (it had Canadian plates). One was transported to Strong by Mercy Flight. One was transported by ground ambulance. The driver and medic in the ambulance were treated at the scene (at the time, possible transport for one of them was pending).  The patient in the ambulance may not have sustained injuries and be transported by another ambulance to the patient's original destination.

Photos by Howard Owens

Police are investigating a fatal motor vehicle accident that was reported at 9:37 p.m. on Saturday on Creek Road just inside city limits.

The cause of the accident has not yet been determined but it appears, according to police, that Tanysha Thomas, 24, of Caledonia, lost control of her vehicle while heading north on Creek Road on a turn in the road. The car struck a telaphone pole, a tree, and then roled down an embankment, landing on its roof. 

A vehicle fire was reported.

Emergency personnel pulled Thomas from the vehicle and she was transported to UMMC, where she was pronounced dead.

There were no other occupants in the vehicle. 

Batavia PD and City Fire along with Mercy EMS responded to the accident.

The Sheriff's Office Crash Management Team is assisting with the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Batavia Police Department at 585-345-6350.

Route 20 through Bethany has been closed for three hours and remains closed at the time of this post because of an accident involving a car and a tractor-trailer.

Bethany Fire, with mutual aid from Pavilion along with Mercy EMS, responded to the accident. 

One person was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital.

Submitted photos.

Dispatchers are checking on the availability of Mercy Flight after receiving a report of a possible serious injury accident in the area of 6218 Alleghany Road, Alabama.

Alabama Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 5:10 p.m. Joanne Beck: Mercy Flight responding, ETA 9 minutes.

UPDATE 5:37 p.m. Joanne Beck: Mercy Flight en route to Erie County Medical Center. Howard Owens is at the scene.

UPDATE 6:32 p.m. Joanne Beck:

In a one-vehicle accident, considered to be one of those “freak” occurrences when not wearing a seat belt actually may have saved the driver’s life. The driver was ejected from his Jeep early Monday evening and is expected to survive, said Genesee County Sheriff’s Sergeant Andrew Hale.

The 39-year-old driver was flown by Mercy Flight to Erie County Medical Center with serious injuries.

Hale said the vehicle was heading northbound on Route 63 towards Medina at approximately 4:50 p.m., where there was some road construction, when, for “some unknown reason,” the driver drove through road-closed construction signs.

“It’s out of the Alabama area here right on the county line, at which point it blew through some construction signs here, and overcorrected and went off the shoulder of the roadway. The construction crews are doing work in the area,” he said. “So from our preliminary investigation, we determined this vehicle rolled at least two times, possibly a third. And the individual was not wearing his seatbelt. And that's ultimately what probably led to him surviving the motor vehicle crash. Had he been wearing a seatbelt, he would have been probably trapped and crushed by the rolling of the Jeep. So, in this instance, it appears that being ejected from the vehicle is what ultimately saved him.”

Hale confirmed that the driver was conscious and alert when responders found him and was able to “talk briefly.” 

“But he did have severe injuries,” Hale said. 

He did not suspect that alcohol was involved in the accident, he said, but added there's no way of telling if drugs were involved at this point.

There will be an investigation as to why the driver went through the construction signs because “at this time, we don’t have an answer as to why he did that,” Hale said. 

“We’ll definitely follow up,” Hale said. He’s got some things he’s got to tend to for right now, but when the time comes, we’ll probably ask him those most important questions.”

There was an off-duty volunteer fireman who lives just up the road who heard the accident and and, along with his father, also responded to the scene. 

It is still being determined at what point the driver was ejected from the vehicle, Hale said. He was just lucky in this case that he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, though Hale encourages everyone to wear one.

“Absolutely wear a seatbelt. You know, 99 percent of the time, it will only benefit you and help save your life and help save others’ lives,” he said. This was just one of those rare freak accidents, and in this case, it played to his benefit.”

The driver’s fiancee had been notified of the accident, Hale said.  The driver's name has not yet been released.

Alexander Fire is responding to a motorcycle accident with reported injuries in the area of 10248 Brookville Road.

UPDATE 9:25 a.m.: One person transported to Strong Memorial Hospital.

A pedestrian has reportedly been struck in the area of 518 East Main St., Batavia.

The pedestrian is reportedly down in the roadway.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE: An officer on scene said the pedestrian sustained minor injuries and was transported to UMMC.

Dispatchers have received notification that an iPhone has detected a crash in the area of 6483 Townline Road, Byron.

There is no subscriber contact.

Byron Fire, South Byron Fire, and Mercy EMS dispatched.

A three-car motor vehicle accident is reported in the area of 5870 Ellicott Street Road, Bethany.

No word on injuries.

Bethany Fire and Stafford Fire dispatched. Mercy EMS dispatched.

A two-vehicle accident partially blocking is reported on Main Street, Batavia, in front of Dunn Tire.

Fluids leaking.

No word on injuries.

City Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

A car has reportedly struck a tree in the area of 1867 County Line Road, Darien.

A mother and child are believed in the car with a patient bleeding from the head.

Darien Fire and ambulance dispatched along with Mercy EMS.

UPDATE 1:12 p.m.: A 30-year-old female has a cut on her head, according to a first responder. The child appears to be OK.

UPDATE 1:49 p.m.: A patient is being transported to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. Darien assignment back in service.

A motor vehicle accident is reported in front of Darien Lake Theme Park, 9993 Alleghany Road, Darien.

A possible neck injury is reported.

Darien Fire and ambulance dispatched.

UPDATE 1:44 p.m.: Two vehicles blocking.