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Drivers from July 7 accident on Indian Falls road both remain hospitalized

By Howard B. Owens

The drivers of both vehicles involved in a two-car, head-on collision on Indian Falls Road on July 7 remain hospitalized but their health is improving.

Donald Sage, 70, of Judge Road, Oakfield, remains in intensive care at Strong Memorial Hospital. 

On a website set up by Strong for family members to share information about loved ones, his daughter reports that Sage recently was able to breath for 27 hours without a respirator. Sage suffered internal injuries and a broken arm.

Meanwhile, investigators were finally able to talk with Sonya M. Charache, 30, of Gorton Road, Alabama, a couple of days ago, according to Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble.

Charache is in intensive care at ECMC. (A family member reports that Sandra is out of intensive care, though will remain hospitalized for some time.)

Dibble said, as is common in traumatic accidents, Charache is unable to remember the accident.

Investigators are analyizing data from the computers on the vehicles, but that information will only get them so far in determining what happened, Dibble said.

"They can tell you about speed, braking and seat belts," Dibble said, "but they can't tell you why a driver crossed over into the other lane. We still don't know what caused the accident."

Irene Will

Don Sage not only suffered internal injuries and a broken arm, he also suffered a broken hip and broken leg, and a collapsed lung. They have operated on the leg and arm, but have been unable to operate on the hip yet because it is so bruised up. The lung is back up and they took out the tube, but he is still on and off the respirator. He has a long way to go yet to recover.

Jul 22, 2011, 9:57am Permalink
Dave Olsen

Whatever happened to cause this accident, and I'm not blaming anyone; it goes to show how quickly lives can be changed. 3 or 4 thousand pounds at 50 miles an hour can is a lot of momentum energy, please drive carefully. Best wishes toward recovery to all the injured and their families. To echo Irene, yes thank God for the volunteer and professional responders and the quick and professional actions that most likely have resulted in these folks being alive today. I don't know Ms. Charache, but I have known Don for over 35 years he is a very good man.

Jul 22, 2011, 12:52pm Permalink
Jessica Semar

She was obviously distracted..there was nothing wrong with the vehicle, as it seems..so what else could it have been? Either she fell asleep or it was the cause of distracted driving. That's the only logical reason for her to have crossed into the other lane.

Jul 22, 2011, 11:26pm Permalink

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