accident

A car-into-tree accident, with airbag deployment, is reported on westbound Route 490 by mile marker 3.0. Bergen Fire Department and Le Roy Fire Department and Ambulance Service are responding.

UPDATE 1:14 p.m.: Bergen command is holding all units in quarters.

From the Attica Police Department regarding an accident in the Town of Alexander:

The Attica Police Department responded to a reported car into a house accident at 63 Buffalo St., Attica, at about 6:38 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23.

Upon arrival officers found a 2004 Honda had gone off the roadway and struck a house causing significant damage to the vehicle and structural damage to the residence. The operator of the vehicle, 33-year-old Nathan S. Bowes, sustained minor injuries and was evaluated by EMS staff at the scene, however refused any further medical aid.

Upon further investigation it was determined that alcohol was involved and the accident location was outside of the Village of Attica and in the Town of Alexander, Genesee County.

Genesee County Sheriff Office was contacted and the scene was turned over to deputies DeMuth and Glor for further investigation.

Town of Alexander Building Code was contact and responded. It was determined that the section of the residence was inhabitable due to the significant structural damage.

Attica Fire Department and EMS assisted at the scene along with Alexander Fire Department. The incident scene was on Buffalo Street east of Sokol Drive.

Photo and information from Alecia Kaus, of Video News Service.

The three male occupants who crashed into a house on Clay Street in Le Roy in the wee hours this morning were from out of the area, authorities say, but their identities have not yet been released.

The front-seat passsenger died at the scene at 77 Clay St., and the driver and back-seat passenger were transported to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, although Le Roy Police Chief Chris Hayward said he's not sure which one of them was taken by Mercy Flight and which by ambulance.

"It's very early in the investigation," Hayward said.

The Crash Management Team arrived shortly after 6 a.m. and code enforcement was there at that time determining whether the house with an upstairs and downstairs apartment was habitable. The downstairs unit was unoccupied. The upstairs tenant was not injured.

The victims who were transported both had severe injuries.

"They were extensive," Hayward said. "I don't really want to specify."

The car -- and Haywood said they could not tell if it was a sedan or a coupe based on looking at the wreckage -- was coming from the south around 3:30 a.m., heading northbound on Route 19 (Clay Street at the crash site), when it failed to negotiate the Wolcott Street curve and smashed into the house.

Photo courtesy of Alecia Kaus, of Video News Service.

A two-vehicle accident is reported, with one of the vehicles crashed into a house at 77 Clay St. in Le Roy. It's in the village between Wolcott and Myrtle streets. Le Roy Fire Department, Le Roy Ambulance Service and Mercy medics are responding. 

A first responder on scene says there are three patients. Mercy Flight out of Batavia is put on standby. Pavilion Fire Department is called for extrication. An ambulance out of Monroe County is requested.

Le Roy Fire Police are going to shut down all northbound traffic on Route 19 at Munson Street.

UPDATE 3:46 a.m.: Le Roy command asks that Route 19 at Route 5 also be shut down.

UPDATE 3:53 a.m.: Serious injuries are possible. The county's Crash Management Team is being called in and along with a code enforcement officer. Mercy Flight is called to the scene. It will land at the Le Roy Ambulance Service base on Tountas Avenue.

UPDATE 3:59 a.m.: Mercy Flight has a 12-minute ETA.

UPDATE 4:05 a.m.: The Mercy Flight landing zone is changed to the area by the middle school field by the bus garage. One patient has been extricated.

UPDATE 4:14 a.m.: Mercy Flight has landed. All patients extricated.

UPDATE 4:16 a.m.: Le Roy medics are transporting one patient to the Mercy Flight helicopter.

UPDATE 4:26 a.m.: Alecia Kaus, of Video News Service, who is at the scene, says: "According to Le Roy Police Chief Hayward, this was a one-vehicle accident. A car lost control at the curve and struck a house. Three males were in the vehicle. One front-seat passenger has died at the scene. The driver and another passenger were transported to Strong Hospital, one via Mercy Flight and one via ambulance."

UPDATE 4:31 a.m.: The gas is being shut off at the house on Clay Street where the crash occurred.

UPDATE 4:34 a.m.: Alecia Kaus says no one inside the house was injured. There was no one in the first-floor apartment at the time of the crash; the second-floor occupants were unharmed.

UPDATE 4:36 a.m.: State DOT will be notified about a traffic sign that will need to be replaced.

UPDATE 4:48 a.m.: Le Roy fire's auxiliary was summoned about 20 minutes ago.

UPDATE 4:53 a.m.: Le Roy ambulance is back in service.

UPDATE 5:48 a.m.: The State Police are in charge of the scene now; the vehicle is covered. A picture(s) of the vehicle involved will be posted later when it becomes available. No more updates anticipated until then.

A one-vehicle rollover accident, believed to be with injuries, is reported in the area of 9224 Alexander Road, Alexander.

A caller says it appears an occupant or occupants are beginning to crawl out of the vehicle.

Alexander fire and ambulance dispatched. Mercy EMS is also responding.

UPDATE 9:48 a.m.: Both occupants are out of the car.

UPDATE 9:53 a.m.: Mercy EMS can disregard. Alexander's ambulance will handle sign-offs.

The passenger of a van that struck a manure spreader Friday night on North Bergen Road in Byron remains in guarded condition at Strong Memorial Hospital.

Guarded condition at Strong means the patient is in the intensive care unit.

Paul W. Tuttle, of Bergen, was a passenger in a 2015 Dodge Pro Master van driven by Richard J. White, of Brockport, when it struck a Kuhn-Knight manure spreader attached to a John Deere tractor driven by Kip A. Keller, of Byron.

Keller was eastbound on North Bergen Road at 7:07 p.m. when the van struck the manure spreader, causing the manure spreader to separate from the tractor. 

Byron Chief Chief Robert Mruczek said after the accident that the manure spreader had placards and lights on.

As a result of the crash, the van suffered heavy front-end damage. Tuttle was transported to Strong by Mercy Flight.

Drivers White and Keller suffered minor injuries and were taken to Strong and UMMC by ground ambulance. 

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The collision is being investigated by Chief Joseph Graff, Sgt. Andrew Hale, Investigator James Diehl, of the Crash Management Team. Deputy Travis DeMuth and Deputy Michael Lute assisted at the scene, as did members of the fire departments from Byron, South Byron, and Elba, along with Mercy EMS and Byron Auto Repair.

Photo by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.

A one-vehicle accident is reported in the area of 7446 Macomber Road, Alabama.

Three people are reportedly injured and in a residence at that location.

Alabama Fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 12:55 a.m.: Four people with injuries, second ambulance requested to the scene.

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.