Skip to main content

Oakfield man arrested after fleeing pickup stuck on railroad tracks that was hit by train in Corfu

By Billie Owens

From the Genesee County Sheriff's Office:

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office investigated a report of a motor vehicle struck by a train at 12:29 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25.

The incident occurred on the railroad tracks between Depot Street and Water Street in the Village of Corfu and was reported to the Genesee County Emergency Dispatch Center.

Upon arrival, patrols observed a CSX freight train stopped on the railroad tracks that appeared to be traveling west. A black 2015 GMC Sierra pickup truck was also observed on the railroad tracks with damage to the rear of the truck.

It appeared that the GMC attempted to cross over the tracks and bottomed out, coming to a rest on the north railroad track. That is when the CSX freight train struck the rear of the truck, pushing it off the tracks.

The GMC did not appear to be occupied; however the occupants were reported to have fled the scene by witnesses. No injuries were sustained or reported as a result of the incident.

After further investigation, Brendan M. Kotarski, 27, of Oak Street in Oakfield, and a female passenger were located and found to be the sole occupants of the 2015 GMC Sierra.

Kotarski was later identified as the operator and was administered standard field sobriety tests. Kotarski was allegedly found to be intoxicated and was charged with: driving while intoxicated; DWI with a BAC of .08 percent or more; reckless driving; leaving the scene of a property damage accident; and reckless endangerment in the second degree.

He was released and scheduled to appear in Corfu Village Court on Sept. 9.

The incident was investigated by Corfu Police Officer Kevin Koscielniak, Officer Peter Scanio and members of the CSX Railroad Police Department. Assistance at the scene was given by Genesee County Sheriff's Sgt. Andrew Hale, Deputy Erik Andre, Deputy Kenneth Quackenbush, and Deputy David Moore, along with members of the Corfu Fire Department.

Authentically Local