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Young driver tells deputy he struck a deer prior to accident, deputy reports he didn't

By Howard B. Owens

An 18-year-old driver at first claimed he swerved to avoid a deer prior to a two-vehicle accident at 11:20 p.m., Tuesday, on Route 5 in Batavia that injured him and the driver of a box truck.

Then the driver told a deputy he struck the deer and it shattered his windshield.

Deputy Ryan Young, who prepared the accident report, wrote in the report, "There was no evidence on vehicle 1 to indicate that a deer was struck by any portion of the vehicle."

Charges may be pending against Dante D. Mancuso, of West Main Street, Batavia. He was driving a 2006 BMW SUV. He was transported to UMMC for evaluation following the accident.

Joseph Ruhland Jr., 53, of Old Dominion Way, Thomasville, was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Mancuso was westbound on Route 5 in the area of 3975 W. Main Street Road when his vehicle crossed the center line and clipped a Ruhland's box truck, causing Ruhland to lose control and the truck jackknifed. It crossed into the westbound lane and overturned, coming to rest against a stone wall after the rear trailer detached from the truck.

Volunteer firefighters extricated Ruhland from the truck.

The accident remains under investigation.

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