accident

A motor-vehicle accident with entrapment but a minor injury, a hand injury, is reported at 5116 Broadway Road, Bethany.

The vehicle rolled over.

A park police officer was first on scene and managed to extricate the victim from the vehicle. The patient is now in a residence in that location.

A pole is down. Wires were sparking but the sparking has reportedly stopped.

Bethany fire and ambulance responding. 

UPDATE 12:37 a.m.: National Grid requested to the scene.

Two people have been transported, including one by Mercy Flight, from the site of an accident involving a manure spreader and a van in the area of 6385 North Bergen Road, Byron.

The county's Crash Management Team is investigating the accident.

Byron and South Byron volunteer fire departments are on scene. Bergen's ambulance also responded.

One person was reportedly entrapped in a vehicle following the accident and extrication was required.

UPDATE Midnight: A work van with two male occupants rear-ended a manure spreader on North Bergen Road that was returning to the farm after working a nearby field.

The spreader was equipped with reflectors, said Byron Chief Robert Mruczek.

The driver and the passenger in the van were transported to Strong Memorial Hospital, one by Mercy Flight.

A short extrication was required for one of the patients, Mruczek said.

The driver of the farm equipment was transported to UMMC for evaluation.

The manure spreader was barely damaged.

"It's a strong piece of machinery," Mruczek said. "It's very solid."

The Sheriff's Office is investigating the accident and the names of those involved have not yet been released.

Information and photos via Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

A two-vehicle collision with injuries is reported on Read Road in Pembroke, north of Genesee Street. East Pembroke Fire Department is responding along with Mercy medics.

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries is reported at North Byron Road and Transit Road, Elba.

Elba fire and Mercy EMS dispatched. Byron's ambulance also requested to the scene.

In response to a request for information on the lack of a snow fence and plow times on Route 98 the day of a double fatal accident in Elba, the state Department of Transportation issued a statement today that didn't address either issue.

A spokesman did not respond, after several hours, to The Batavian's request for information on those specific issues.

Here's the DOT's official statement about the crash Feb. 2 that took the lives of mother and son, Teresa M. Norton, 53, and Thomas M. Norton, 22, both of Albion:

This was a tragic incident. DOT’s primary focus is highway safety, which includes snow and ice preparation and response. We maintain thousands of miles on highways statewide and follow snow and ice guidelines to address severe winter weather in Upstate New York. DOT’s maintenance crews were working diligently throughout that weekend in Genesee County, engaged in snow and ice operations on state highways.

The accident occurred within days of significant snowfall when the wind was blowing at about 30 mph through the county. There were significant snow drives across patches of Route 98 that afternoon, including one where Teresa Norton's 2008 Suzuki slide sideways through heavy snow and was hit broadside by a pickup truck.  

Both mother and son were pronounced dead at the scene.

Friends and family surrounded Kimberly Albanese and David Robb on Sunday evening in Elba with love and support as they mourned and remembered their mother, Teresa M. Norton, and brother, Thomas M. Norton, at the spot on Route 98 where they were killed eight days earlier.

Teresa, 53, and Thomas, 22, both of Albion, were northbound on Oak Orchard Road when the 2008 Suzuki SUV Teresa was driving hit a deep patch of snow that had blown across the roadway. The Suzuki slid sideways and was struck by a southbound pickup truck.

Both mother and son died at the scene of the accident.

"She was a great mom," Albanese said. "She tried her best. She was my best friend. I miss her so much. Every day I want to call her just to ask her if everything is great. I don't know how I'm going to raise my 2-year-old and my baby. I have a baby due in two months.

"That's when you need your mom the most. My kids are never going to know her. And my brother was only 22. His birthday is in two weeks and he just, he got cheated out of life so much. But what are you going to do? You just go day by day."

A GoFundMe online fundraiser also has been established to assist the family, which has not only suffered the loss of Teresa and Thomas but they are also dealing with the health issues faced by Roger Norton, Teresa's husband. He has been in intensive care at Strong Memorial Hospital since several weeks prior to the accident.

A two-car accident with injuries is reported at Park Road and Oak Street, Batavia.

City fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 7:33 p.m.: Two cars, three patients, one possible transport at this time, according to a first responder.

A semi-truck has tipped over in the area of 9575 Alleghany Road, Corfu.

Traffic is blocked. There are no injuries.

The location is south of the village.

There were no injuries reported in an accident at Ledge Road and Route 77 in Alabama just before 3 p.m.

Alabama fire and Mercy EMS responded.

Photos submitted by Yalonda Skeet.

Teresa was born July 29, 1965, in Dansville, a daughter of Paul Dieter, of New Hampshire, and Sandra Demmer, of Batavia. 

According to her obituary, "she loved crafts of all kinds and really enjoyed making beautiful wreaths to give to family members."

To read her full obituary click here.

Thomas was born Feb. 27, 1996, in Olean, a son of Roger and Teresa Norton. 

He was a graduate of Albion High School.  

To read his full obituary, click here.

A car vs. pole accident is reported at 9864 Fargo Road, Darien.

An ambulance is requested to the scene for evaluation of the driver.

The pole is snapped and wires are down.

Darien fire and ambulance dispatched.

A minor-injury rollover accident is reported on Fargo Road, between Roanoke Road and Clapsaddle Road, Stafford.

Stafford fire and Bethany fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 10:19 a.m.: The driver is out and walking around. Responding units can continue non-emergency.

With his three children in his minivan, along with one of their friends, returning to Elba on Saturday afternoon, Justin Calarco-Smith was being cautious, he recalls. He had already come through a couple of snow drifts on Route 98. 

Shortly after passing Batavia Elba Townline Road, he came upon another drift with near whiteout conditions when he noticed a silver SUV ahead of him lose control and start to slide sideways.

He didn't actually see the southbound pickup truck driven by Jeffrey S. Toussaint, 59, of Albion strike the silver SUV because of the poor visibility but he was able to stop in time to avoid being entangled in the accident.

Calarco-Smith is the funeral director at H.E. Turner Funeral Home. He's been to fatal accident scenes before but on Saturday he was one of several passersby who tried to render aid to the victims of the crash. This was a close call involving his own family and he said it took him some time to process what happened.

Despite the efforts of people on the scene to assist Teresa M. Norton, 53, and Thomas M. Norton, 22, a mother and son from Albion, they did not survive the crash and were pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Karen Lang.

"Upon seeing the SUV and pickup truck on the west shoulder of Route 98, I immediately pulled my van over to the east shoulder (it got stuck in the ditch) and called 9-1-1 to report the accident," Calarco-Smith. "After I hung up with dispatch, I exited my car, and along with three other bystanders who stopped to try to help, I got out to see what I could do to help. A female bystander asked if I had blankets for the victims to keep them warm. I ran back to my van and got a blanket out of our trunk and handed one to her."

The accident was reported at about 1:30 p.m. Winds through Genesee County that day were about 30 mph, two days after a major snowstorm had hit the area. Several sections of Route 98 that afternoon had significant snow drifts on the roadway, including the area where the accident occurred. The state's Department of Transportation is responsible for the maintenance of Route 98 and there was no snow fence erected on the west side of Route 98 where the accident occurred.

Calarco-Smith estimates there was one to two inches of snow covering the roadway at the time of the accident.

Because of Calarco-Smith's job, and as a resident of Elba, he knows many of the first responders who arrived at the accident. He praised his friends for how they conducted themselves at the scene.

"These same friends who were out in the elements constantly checked on my children assuring them all would be fine, while I was away from my vehicle," Calarco-Smith said. "I can't say enough about the professionalism, kindness and caring they demonstrated while on the scene. They are truly the calm in the eye of the storm."

A note about the video: I shot it Sunday afternoon so I make reference to "the accident yesterday." At the time I shot it, I anticipated publishing it Sunday, not Monday. That didn't happen. The video is intended to provide a look at the area of the accident scene and discuss what conditions were like on Saturday.

The farm field west of the location of the double fatal crash on Route 98 in Elba.

The site on Route 98 in Elba of a double fatal crash on Saturday.

Snow fence west of Route 98 a location south of Townline Road.

A semi and a burgundy coupe collided at the intersection of Ellicott Street and Summit/Liberty. City fire, police and Mercy medics are on scene. Traffic was backed up in both directions, but traffic lanes are being reopened now.

The female driver of the coupe may have minor injuries and is being transported by Mercy medics to UMMC for evaluation. The truck driver appears to be uninjured. He faces a citation for allegedly running a red light. 

A mother and her adult son from Albion were killed Saturday afternoon in a two-vehicle collision on a snow-covered Route 98 in Elba.

Teresa M. Norton, 53, was driving a 2008 Suzuki SUV north on Route 98, with her son, Thomas M. Norton, 22, in the passenger seat, when the vehicle hit a long patch of deep snow in an area about a mile north of Batavia Elba Townline Road. Norton apparently lost control of the Suzuki and it slid sideways. A 2011 Chevrolet pickup truck was southbound. The truck, driven by Jeffrey S. Toussaint, 59, of Albion, struck the Suzuki on the passenger side.

Toussaint was transported to Erie County Medical Center by Mercy EMS for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The property west of the accident, according to county records, is owned by Torrey Farms. According to sources, there were no snow fences installed along the west side of Route 98. NYS Department of Transportation is responsible for maintenance of Route 98, including erecting snow fences where they might be needed.

The Batavian was at the crash scene shortly after the accident and that section of Route 98, as well as a section south of Townline Road, were heavily covered in snow, at least several inches thick.

First responders described the roadway as hazardous when they were arriving on scene.

DOT snow plows arrived at Route 98 about 30 minutes after the accident.

Both mother and son were pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Karen Lang.

New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit responded to the accident and is leading the investigation with assistance from troopers and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

The investigation is not yet complete.

The Elba Volunteer Fire Department also responded to the accident with mutual aid from Town of Batavia and Town of Oakfield fire departments.

Photos: Reader submitted photos.

An accident is completely blocking the westbound lane of Broadway Road (Route 20) in Bethany after a collision between two vehicles near Francis Road. Minor injuiries reported. Bethany Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 5 p.m.: Alexander Fire Department is called to the scene to assist Bethany. Traffic assistance is needed.

UPDATE 5:35 p.m.: Alexander reported it had returned to its fire hall about 10 minutes ago. A female is being transported to UMMC with complaints of neck pain.

UPDATE 5:44 p.m.: Bethany is back in service and the road is open.

A person is complaining of an arm injury after a two-car collision in front of the Totem Pole Smoke Shop on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. The address is 1031 Ledge Road. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

A motor-vehicle accident, with two people unconscious, is reported on Oak Orchard Road (Route 98), between Edgerton Road and Batavia Elba Townline Road. Elba Fire Department is responding. Road conditions are said to be icy and hazardous.

UPDATE 2:12 p.m.: A law enforcement officer confirmed this is a double fatal accident. No other information is available at this time. The scene is under investigation.

UPDATE 6:05 p.m.: After more than a three-hour wait, troopers refused to allow media access to the scene or release further information. We did have access to the scene for a few minutes shortly after the accident. The roadway, for at least a 100-yard stretch, was covered in several inches of snow, blown over the roadway by wind. Route 98 coming out of Batavia had at least two stretches of similarly snow-impacted roadway. It was only after the accident that State DOT plow trucks showed up (after troopers contacted the DOT about the need for plowing). We're not sure when or if the State Police will release more information.

UPDATE 6:32 p.m.: The state has the legal authority to go onto private property to erect snow fencing. In past years, the state has put up snow fences on Route 98 along sections of roadway subject to snow drift. This year, the state has not put up snow fencing on state-maintained Route 98.

UPDATE 11:05 p.m.: State Police have yet to release any further information.

A car crashed into a pole barn at 8668 Route 237. Everyone is out of the vehicle; believed to be no injuries. The location is south of Prentice Road. Stafford Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 12:18 p.m.: Confirmed there are no injuries.

UPDATE 12:25 p.m.: "It looks like the barn may come down when we pull the vehicle out," says a firefighter at the scene.

Also, in the City of Batavia, westbound traffic is down to one lane and traffic is congested on West Main Street near Thomas Avenue following a collision.

A snowmobile rollover accident is reported on Broadway Road, between Harlow and Countyline roads, in Darien.

The snowmobile reportedly rolled over on the driver but the driver is believed to be out from under the snowmobile now.

Darien fire and ambulance and Mercy EMS dispatched.

The location is slightly off the roadway. Somebody is waiting roadside to direct emergency responders to the location.

UPDATE 10:56 a.m.: No injuries. Darien fire and ambulance canceled.