accident

A car collided with a jacknifed tractor trailer on the westbound portion of the Thruway this morning around 6:00am just west of Pembroke, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. The serious crash left the tractor portion of the truck on a guardrail and the trailer in the middle of the highway, blocking both lanes going west.

Other news stations are reporting that Thruway is blocked off between exits 48A and Exit 49. We could not yet find any updates on how long before the lanes reopen. We'll get you an update when that info becomes available.

In other news, Dan Fischer tells us that the Genesee County Health Department will be holding another "Fly Shot Clinic" from 9:00 to 11:00am this morning at the Senior Center on Bank Street. Did you mean "Flu" there, Dan? I think so. Funny typo, though.

UPDATE (9:50pm): WHAM News in Rochester reports that the left westbound lane of the Thruway was, in fact, re-opened shortly after 7:00am this morning, and the right lane was freed up about an hour after that.

One Batavia man is in the hospital with serious injuries, another in the custody of Genesee County sheriff's deputies, following an accident between a car and a motorcycle last night in the town of Batavia.

54-year-old William Herrington III, of 7926 Slusser Road, was taken by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital after his motorcycle collided with a car at the intersection of Route 5 and Powers Road, according to deputies. Herrington is being treated for a cervical spine fracture, a laceration to his spine and multiple facial fractures.

Deputies believe that the driver of the car, 37-year-old Kenneth G. Scinta Jr., of 3207 Pratt Road Lot #70, had tried to make a left turn onto Powers Road without yielding the right of way to Herrington. Scinta was charged with felony first-degree vehicular assault and two misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated and aggraveted DWI. He was also ticketed with failing to yield the right of way.

Scinta is in sehriff's custody without bail. He is scheduled to reappear in court today at 10:30am.

Herrington was reported in "guarded" condition this morning at 9:00am.

The accident is still under investigation.

WBTA reports this morning:

• Officials believe an accident on Dodgeson Road went undiscovered for several hours. At about 5:30 this morning, a wrecked car was discovered with the driver inside, conscious but trapped.  Power tools were needed to open the car.
• David Bellavia won't challenge a GOP-endorsed candidate for congress. UPDATE: Here's the Buffalo News coverage.

Listen to WBTA AM 1490 for news updates throughout the day.

Steve Ognibene, chief of the Alexander Fire Department, sends along this notice:

The Alexander Fire Department and the Alexander High School are re-enacting a DWI Accident as part of the Prom night experence. A Promm project will start at the Alexander High School Auditorium at 910 Am on Thursday May 29, 2008 followed by the accident at the Alexander Fire Departmemnt Recreation Hall at 920. Any help in coverage will help to get the message out to young people not to drink and drive.

A one-vehicle crash in LeRoy early this morning claimed the life of Gerhard McBride, 56, of Rochester, the Genesee County Sheriff's office reported.

McBride was reportedly driving on Oatka Trail Road when his car left the road, struck a sign and several trees before coming to rest down an embankment.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.