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accident

Accident on Galloway Road, possible injuries, pole and wires down

By Howard B. Owens

A motor vehicle accident, believed to be with injuries, is reported in the area of 3622 Galloway Road, Batavia.

That's just off Route 63 near Oakfield.

A pole and wires are reportedly down.

Town of Batavia along with Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 5:49 p.m.: Galloway being closed at Kelsey.

UPDATE 5:56 p.m.: No entrapment. Two patients out of the vehicle and sitting in a sergeant's car. Traffic control requested at Galloway in Lewiston. National Grid notified. No ETA.


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Two car accident with minor injuries reported at Texaco Town

By Howard B. Owens

One vehicle is on its roof following a two-car accident at Route 63 and Route 20.

A chief on scene reports two people with minor injuries; one southbound lane is blocked.

Pavilion fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 8:29 a.m.: One patient being transported to UMMC with minor injuries.

Rollover accident reported on Judge Road, Alabama

By Howard B. Owens

A rollover accident has been reported on Judge Road, Alabama.

Unknown injuries at this time.

Alabama fire and Mercy EMS responding along with Oakfield fire.

UPDATE 6:19 p.m.: One victim is out of the vehicle. Extrication was not required.

UPDATE 7 p.m.: One person being transported to UMMC with complaint of head and arm pain.

Man hit in back with tree limb in Elba

By Alecia Kaus

An adult male was struck by a tree limb at 6124 Quaker Hill Road in Elba. He is conscious and alert but on the ground. Mercy Medics and Elba Fire responding.

UPDATE 12:45 p.m.: Mercy Flight 6 out of Batavia responding to the scene.

UPDATE 1:08 p.m.: Mercy Flight 6 is off the ground.

Teen killed in head-on crash on Route 33, woman seriously injured

By Howard B. Owens

A 17-year-old was killed Saturday tonight (Dec. 8) in a two-car head-on accident on Route 33, just east of Route 237, in the Town of Stafford. It occurred at 6:20 p.m.

The driver of the other car, a 49-year-old woman, was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester by Mercy Medic 1 with a severe leg injury.

The teen killed in the accident was Collin Crane, of Batavia. The female was Carmen Vega, of Le Roy, who was driving a 2002 Buick.

The young driver was westbound when his 1999 Saturn drifted into the eastbound lane, according to Sgt. Samuel Tagilenti, zone commander for the State Police.

Vega did try to avoid the accident, Tagilenti said, but the two cars hit head-on.

"You see a car coming over the line toward you, you’re going to try to move away from it, but you run out of road, and time," Tagilenti said.

No cause of the accident has been determined and Tagilenti would not offer up on possible causes.

"You could give 100 reasons and I could say it could be that, but until we can do our investigation and come up with a valid reason, we're not going to speculate," Tagilenti said.

Crane was pronounced dead at the scene by a Genesee County Coroner Barry Miller.

Stafford fire responded to the accident along with Mercy EMS. South Byron and Town of Batavia assisted with traffic control.

Exact cause of the accident and contributing circumstances are under continuing investigation.

UPDATE: Photo of Collin from a memorial page on Facebook that was set up tonight.

UPDATE: Another memorial page for Collin has been set up on Facebook.

UPDATE: Crisis counselors will be at Batavia High School on Monday to talk with students.

(Initial Report)

Accident with entrapment reported at intersection of Route 33 and Route 237, Stafford

By Howard B. Owens

A motor-vehicle accident with injuries and entrapment is reported at the intersection of Route 237 and Route 33, Stafford.

Two Mercy ambulances dispatched and Mercy Flight is on standby.

Stafford fire dispatched.

UPDATE 6:28 p.m.: Mercy Flight is not available.

UPDATE 6:33 p.m.: A trooper informs dispatch that it's a serious injury accident. A sergeant is requested to the scene.

UPDATE 6:40 p.m. (By Billie): South Byron Fire Police are called to shut down Route 33 at Griswold Road. Bergen Fire Department is requested to bring extrication equipment to the scene -- "A second set (of jaws) is needed." The accident is just east of the 33/237 intersection.

UPDATE 7:04 p.m.: The victim has been extricated.

UPDATE 10:17 p.m.: Stafford and South Byron back in service. Route 33 is reopened.

Car wreck at Route 98, Stroh Road, Alexander

By Billie Owens

A motor-vehicle accident, believed to be with minor injuries, is reported at Route 98 and Stroh Road. Alexander Ambulance and Fire Department are responding.

UPDATE 3:31 p.m.: A fireman on scene reports there are no injuries and it is not blocking traffic. Ambulance is cancelled.

UPDATE 4:03 p.m.: There were two sign-offs and one patient is being taken to UMMC.

UPDATE 4:13 p.m.: The patient is a 20-year-old male complaining of head and right knee pain. Alexander fire is back in service.

Accident with minor injuries reported on Ledge Road, Alabama

By Howard B. Owens

There is an accident report with minor injuries on Ledge Road west of White Road, Alabama.

There have been reports of it being a car vs. tree and car vs. deer accident.

Alabama fire and Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 9:27 p.m.: Reportedly, driver swerved to miss a deer and struck a tree.

Accident with injuries reported on Route 77, Darien

By Howard B. Owens

A motor vehicle accident with injuries is reported on Route 77, just south of Herkimer Road.

Darien fire and ambulance dispatched.

UPDATE 4:48 p.m.: It's a car/deer accident at 1784 Route 77.

UPDATE 5:10 p.m.: Accident victim signs off on medical treatment. All Darien units returning.

Car wreck with minor injuries on Byron Elba Road

By Billie Owens

A motor-vehicle accident with minor injuries is reported at 6081 Byron Elba Road, east of Byron Road. A utility pole there is snapped in half. South Byron Fire Company is responding.

UPDATE 6:17 p.m.: National Grid is contacted because the pole presents a hazard. No ETA given.

UPDATE 6:26 p.m.: National Grid has a 10-minute ETA. A tow will respond to remove the damaged vehicle(s) after National Grid clears the pole/wires.

Car wreck with minor injuries on Genesee Street, Corfu

By Billie Owens

A motor-vehicle accident with minor injuries is reported at 853 Genesee St. in Corfu. Corfu Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. Law enforcement is on scene.

UPDATE 4:33 p.m.: Three people are signs-offs and one person will likely be transported to a hospital.

Rollover accident with unknown injuries reported in Stafford

By Howard B. Owens

A one-car rollover accident has reported in the area of 6485 Thwing Road, Stafford.

Unknown injuries at this time.

A homeowner in the area spotted the vehicle but did not see the accident. It's not known at this time if there are any occupants in the vehicle.

Stafford fire along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 8:14 a.m.: The resident reports nobody is in the vehicle. The resident believes that accident happened within the past 30 minutes, but did not see it. Mercy EMS to continue non-emergency until a Stafford chief arrives on scene to further assess the situation.

UPDATE 8:16 a.m.: The victim has been located and has a minor hand injury.

UPDATE 8:37 a.m.: Stafford fire back in service.


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Car crash on Route 5 in Le Roy by Save-A-Lot store

By Billie Owens

A car accident is reported on Route 5, in front of the Save-A-Lot store in Le Roy. The roadway is being closed in both directions by fire police. Le Roy fire and ambulance are responding.

Eastbound traffic is closed at Gilbert Street; westbound at Lake Street. The store is at 15 W. Main St. (Route 5).

UPDATE 5:40 p.m.: Two patients are being transported by Le Roy to Strong Memorial Hospital.

UPDATE 5:43 p.m.: Westbound Route 5 is being opened.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: Eastbound is reopened and traffic police are back in service along with the fire department.

Pedestrian at Walmart says her foot was run over by car

By Howard B. Owens

A woman at Walmart says a car ran over her foot while she was in the parking lot.

Initially, she refused an ambulance response, but her father, at another location with a police officer, insisted that an ambulance respond to Walmart.

The suspect vehicle has apparently been located on Route 63.

Car that hit deer on Perry Road, Pavilion, now without lights, blocking traffic

By Billie Owens

Drivers on Perry Road in Pavilion should use extra caution as there is a car / deer accident at 10163 Perry Road and the vehicle is now without lights and blocking the roadway. Law enforcement is responding.

UPDATE 7:12 p.m.: An officer on scene says the location is south of Route 20.

Crash in front of Red Osier restaurant in Stafford

By Billie Owens

A two-car accident with air-bag deployment is reported in front of the Red Osier restaurant in Stafford. A female is complaining of wrist and facial pain. Stafford Fire Department and Mercy EMS are responding. The restaurant is located at 6492 E. Main St. Road.

Lack of sleep, alcohol and a damaged suspension all possible factors in fatal accident

By Howard B. Owens

As near as investigators can conclude, 25-year-old Quayshawn D. Smith was tired, drunk and driving a car with broken suspension April 22 when his 1997 white Buick Century crossed the center yellow line on Lewiston Road and smashed head-on into a minivan driven by a 74-year-old Oakfield resident.

Both Smith, of Mill Street, Medina, and Rosemary Calla, of South Main Street, were dead before the first emergency responders arrived.

While Sheriff's Office investigators draw no conclusions in a recently completed final report on the accident, the three proximate probable causes for the accident are contained in witness statements, observations by investigators and a medical examiner's report.

The ME's report took many months to complete, which is why the investigation wasn't closed until a week or so ago.

According to the Monroe County ME, Smith's BAC was between .08 and .12 (depending on whether the urine or blood sample is used) at the time of the crash. He also had marijuana in his system.

Two people from Geneseo told investigators that they had been with Smith the night before the accident drinking, first at local bars and later at an after-hours party at a residence.

Before going to the house party, Smith gave his car keys to a friend so he wouldn't drive, according to a statement. 

Another more recent acquaintance in his statement said he obtained the keys prior to the party, but when he thought he was going to walk home, gave them to Smith's friend.

Smith's friend denied having the keys at the party.

The acquaintance ended up staying at the party and then got a ride home from Smith. Smith's friend was also a passenger in the car.

According to the acquaintance's statement, Smith was weaving while driving the two passengers back to the friend's house, but he attributed the weaving to Smith being tired, not drunk.

Back at the house, the three men were going to get something to eat, but nothing in the house appealed to them, so Smith decided to leave. Smith's friend offered him a place to sleep, but Smith declined and said he was OK to drive.

The friend said he didn't consider Smith drunk, just tired.

At 6:10 a.m., another Geneseo resident who was driving to Clarence reportedly saw a white sedan pulled over on Route 63 south of the Peoria Curve. The driver observed a man in dark clothing with a hoodie pulled over the side of his head and walking back toward the driver's side door as the witness passed.

There's no evidence this was the same white sedan driven by Smith, however, the Geneseo resident said the white sedan eventually caught up with him (he said he was driving 55 mph) and was weaving in the roadway, sometimes acting as if he wanted to pass, even over a double-yellow line, and the swerving back into the shoulder of the road.

At Route 20 and Route 63, the two cars went separate ways, with the white sedan continuing northbound on Route 63. The Geneseo resident said he intentionally delayed his left turn onto Route 20 so he could observe the driver of the white sedan, whom he described as a black male.

The Geneseo resident never called police until after he learned of a white sedan being invovlved in a double-fatal accident on Route 63.

The accident was reported at 6;46 a.m. in the area of 7936 Lewiston Road, Batavia.

Smith's car crossed the double-yellow line and the two cars hit head-on with the impact area being about 3/4 of the front of each vehicle.

The black box (EDR, for electronic data recorder) in the Buick indicated that Smith wasn't wearing a seat belt, but emergency responders all reported finding Smith strapped in by both a lap belt and shoulder harness. Sgt. William Scott who prepared the reported concluded the EDR reading was in error on that point.

The EDR recorded the Buick's speed at 52 mph just prior to impact.

Scott could not recover the data from the 2002 Mazda minivan driven by Calla because its software was incompatible with the software used by both the Sheriff's Office and State Police.

Using mathematical calculations, Scott concluded Calla's speed just prior to impact was 39.93 mph.

"It is possible that the driver's age or a recognition of an impending collision could have allowed the driver of the Mazda to reduce speed just prior to impact," Scott wrote in his report.

While Smith was over the legal limit for blood alcohol content at the time of the crash, and had been up all night, according to witnesses, the suspension on his car was also damaged.

It had a broken left rear trailing arm. It's the piece that connects the axle to the frame and keeps the axle from moving forward and backward.

Rust on the part indicates it had been broken many months, or longer, prior to the accident and that Smith had been driving the Buick in that condition for some time.

It was probably moving backward and forward two to three inches, according to Scott's report.

"This would have been enough to give the feeling that the vehicle's rear end was steering the car to one side or the other," Scott wrote.

Investigator William Ferrando obtained Smith's mobile phone from the vehicle and concluded Smith had been neither making a phone call nor texting prior to the accident.

The phone proved crucial to making a notification to a member of Smith's family.

While Smith was living in Medina at the time of the crash, not long before he lived in Brooklyn and his neighbors didn't know how to contact his family.

Ferrando was able to call Smith's aunt using Smith's contact list on the phone. The aunt at first didn't believe Ferrando was with law enforcement because Smith had once pulled a similar prank on her. The aunt told Ferrando that Smith's mother was deceased and she didn't know how to contact his father.

Smith had been enrolled in a carpentry program in Medina, but was employed at Brunner International at the time of the accident.

One of Calla's daughters was notified of her mother's passing that Sunday morning shortly after the accident by a uniformed deputy who went to her house in Oakfield.

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