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ATV accident with injuries reported off Broadway Road in Alexander

By Billie Owens

A 30-year-old female is injured after an ATV accident at 2881 Broadway Road, Alexander. Alexander fire and ambulance are responding.

UPDATE 5:53 p.m.: Mercy Flight is called to the scene. The landing zone will be the Alexander Firemen's Rec Hall.

Driver charged with DWI following accident on Kenney Road, Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

A 23-year-old Le Roy man was charged with DWI after a report last night that a car he was driving went off the roadway on Kenney Road, into a swamp and struck a tree.

Kodey Richard Mills, of Myrtle Street, is also charged with driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, moving from lane unsafely and driving without insurance.

The accident was reported at 10:02 p.m.

Mills was released on an appearance ticket.

The accident was investigated by Deputy James Stack.

Accident with unknown injuries at West Main and Lewiston, Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

A motor-vehicle accident with unknown injuries is reported at West Main Street and Lewiston Road, Batavia.

Town of Batavia fire and Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 5:19 p.m.: Minor injuries. Traffic is blocked.

UPDATE 5:22 p.m. Vehicles have been moved to a parking lot. Once firefighters clear up a little debris, traffic should return to normal.

Accident on West Main, Batavia, with minor injuries

By Howard B. Owens

A motor-vehicle accident with minor injuries is reported on West Main Street at Porter Avenue.

The vehicles have reportedly moved to a location out of the roadway.

City fire, Mercy EMS responding.

UPDATE 10:07 a.m.: An ambulance is requested to return to the parking lot of Batavia PD. A subject involved in the accident now reports she is in her vehicle unable to move.

Minor injury accident reported on Lake Street Road, Le Roy

By Howard B. Owens

An accident, believed to be with minor injuries, is reported in the area of 8703 Lake Street Road, Le Roy.

Le Roy fire and Le Roy ambulance responding.

Traffic is being shut down at West Bergen Road.

Accident reported at State Street and Richmond Avenue

By Billie Owens

A two-car accident is reported at Richmond Avenue and State Street. Police are on scene and Mercy medics are called for patient evaluation. City fire is also responding.

UPDATE 1:38 p.m.: City Engine 11 returning to service.

Rollover accident in Village of Corfu, with no injuries reported

By Howard B. Owens

A one-vehicle rollover is reported at 24 W. Main St., Corfu.

The car may have struck a house.

There were four occupants in the vehicle. The caller believes all are uninjured.

A chief on scene says Mercy EMS can continue non-emergency.

Corfu fire on scene.

There is a hydrant at the location that was sheared off.

Brian West Jr., will be missed by Alexander community

By Howard B. Owens

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Brian West Jr. 2000-2017

Brian West Jr. loved people, and people loved him, according to Tim Sawyer, head coach of Alexander High School's football team.

He packed a lot of living into his 17 years, Sawyer said. Friends, family, and football.

Early this morning, Brian West died at Strong Memorial Hospital from injuries sustained in a single-vehicle rollover accident on West Bethany Road on the Bethany/Alexander town line, just yards from his home.

Sawyer wasn't just Brian's coach. He had known him his entire life. Sawyer and Brian's father grew up next door to each other, were best friends and Sawyer also knew Brian's mother since high school and Brian's grandmother is Sawyer's neighbor.

Besides football, Brian liked to hunt and fish and ride ATVs, just like Sawyer and his dad when they were growing up together.

"He was a lot like his dad in that way," Sawyer said.

Brian was one of the nicest kids you could meet.

"I think his relationships meant a lot to him," Sawyer said. "His friends, his teammates, his family. He always had a smile on his face and wanted to have a good time while he was around people."

He was part of the Trojan's first-ever Section V champion team last year. He planned to pursue a career in law enforcement. (Click here for his obituary).

The cause of the accident is under investigation, and with Brian's death, it may be hard to determine. As of last night, investigators said there were few clues at the scene.

Brian was northbound on West Bethany Road and lost control of his Chevy Avalanche after coming over the crest of a hill. The truck swerved, partially left the roadway on the west shoulder, and as Brian seemed to bring it back to the road surface, it flipped over. It may have rolled over twice. Brian was ejected and landed in a neighbor's driveway. He was alert and conscious when first responders arrived and that seemed to provide hope to everybody at the scene that he would survive the crash.

He died this morning at Strong at 5:20 a.m.

Brian was a good football player, Sawyer said. He excelled as a defensive lineman but played mostly as an offensive tackle this past season because of a pre-season ankle injury. Sawyer said he was too valuable on offense to risk playing both ways every game.

"He was almost like a Dustin Schmieder type of kid," Sawyer said. "He wouldn't have come off the field this year for me."

Recently Brian ran a 4.96 40-yard dash.

"We were looking at him possibly playing tight end for us this year," the coach said.

Brian loved athletics and he loved to compete, Sawyer said.

The Alexander football team works out together in the weight room during the offseason, and tonight is no exception.

"We're a really close-knit community and our team is no different," Sawyer said. "As a team, we'll try to wrap our hands around this and I'll talk a little bit about life and how we all leave a legacy, if it's a good one or if it's a bad one. We all have got to make our time count. That's going to be my message to the boys. I'm going to tell them I love them. We lost a big part of our team today and as young men, as men, we've got to be able to deal with that stuff."

Sawyer also spent time today with Brian's parents. Before he went to their house, he said, he spent some time thinking about what he could say. It's hard to know what to say, he acknowledged.

"I said to Brian Sr., 'If God would have said 17 years ago, I will give you a son for 17 years and them I'm going to take him home, I think we would all take that deal if that were a good life, a life worth living,'" Sawyer said. "Maybe that's not the right perspective. I don't know. But he had a good 17 years."

Life doesn't always work in a storybook fashion. Not everything continues along perfectly, Sawyer said. 

"As sad as it is, I choose to focus on the positive," Sawyer said. "The boy had a great life. Yes, it’s cut short, but he didn’t get cheated out of his 17 years."

UPDATED: Teenager dies following rollover accident on West Bethany Road

By Howard B. Owens

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UPDATE 9:07 a.m.: The driver, Brian D. West Jr., 17, of West Bethany Road, died this morning at 5:20 a.m. as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.

A 17-year-old East Bethany resident was seriously injured tonight after he lost control of his pickup truck and it rolled over -- perhaps twice -- on West Bethany Road, near his home.

The youth, who was ejected from the truck, was flown by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital. He was conscious and alert, and even trying to get up, when an Alexander fire chief first arrived at 10198 West Bethany Road.

"There is a hill rise to the south of us," said Sgt. Eric Seppala, explaining the sequence of events in the accident. "He was northbound. For some reason, he moved from his northbound lane to the southbound lane, went across it, went off the west shoulder of the road. The tires bit in and the vehicle rolled at least once and then continued and rolled to a stop. During that time, somewhere near the end, is when he was ejected from the vehicle through the driver’s side door window."

The cause of the accident, reported at 10:39 p.m.,  is under investigation, according to Seppala, but there is no indication at the scene of alcohol or mobile phone use prior to the accident.

Within the 100 yards or so from where the Chevy Avalanche appears to have started to swerve and cross over into the southbound lane to where it finally came to rest on its three remaining wheels, there are tire marks, deep gouges in the asphalt roadway, bits of metal from the truck, and a small field of auto glass.

Whether speed was a factor hasn't been determined, but traffic citations are possible, Seppala said. 

Deputies were unable to speak with the youth before he was transported to Strong.

Seppala said it hasn't been determined yet if he was wearing a seat belt, but they suspect he wasn't.

There was a small fire in the truck when Alexander chiefs arrived on scene and they were able to put it out with portable extinguishers. 

Deputy Howard Wilson is handling the accident investigation.

Alexander fire and Mercy EMS responded to the accident. Troopers also assisted at the scene.

The driver's name will be available once the Sheriff's Office completes its reports and issues a press release.

(Initial Report)

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Police looking for blue sedan with front end damage that caused accident in Bergen last night

By Howard B. Owens

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Local law enforcement is looking for a blue, four-door sedan with front and driver-side damage that investigators believe was the cause of an accident in Bergen last night that sent six people to the hospital.

The accident was reported at 9:15 in the area of 7762 Clinton Street Road.

The initial investigation by the Sheriff's Office indicates that the blue sedan passed a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan unsafely and struck an eastbound 2010 Ford F150.

The collision forced the pickup truck off the road on the south shoulder where it came to rest facing north, resting on its passenger side.

The Caravan swerved to the right to avoid the collision and it traveled off the south shoulder, where it struck a large utility pole, continued west and struck a large tree.

Volunteer firefighters, when they arrived on scene, began a lengthy extrication to get the driver of the Caravan, Hailee N. Callicutt, of Prune Street, Batavia, out of the vehicle. She suffered a broken leg and was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital by Mercy Flight.

The five other passengers in the Caravan suffered minor injuries and were transported by ambulances to Strong.

No information was released on whether the driver of the pickup truck, John F. Gurtler, of Swamp Road, Bergen, was injured.

Responding to the scene were Bergen fire, Byron fire, Churchville fire, Le Roy ambulance, and Mercy EMS. 

The accident is being investigated by Sgt. Jason Saile, Deputy Ryan DeLong, and Trooper Chad Bea. 

To provide information about the blue sedan that may assist in the investigation, call the Sheriff's Office at (585) 343-5000.

(Initial Post)

Photo: Courtesy Alicia Kaus/Video News Service.

Accident with possible entrapment reported on Clinton Street Road

By Howard B. Owens

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A motor-vehicle accident with possible entrapment is reported at 7762 Clinton Street Road, Bergen.

Bergen fire, Bergen ambulance and Mercy EMS dispatched.

There's a rollover and another vehicle reportedly struck a pole. Wires are reported down.

UPDATE 9:24 p.m.: Mercy Flight on ground standby.

UPDATE 9:25 p.m.: Confirmed, one person trapped.

UPDATE 9:26 p.m.: A second Mercy ambulance requested to the scene. Mercy Flight out of Olean is on in-air standby.

UPDATE 9:31 p.m.: Byron ambulance requested to the scene.

UPDATE 9:35 p.m.: Churchville requested to set up a landing zone at Dublin Road and Route 33 for Mercy Flight. Mercy Flight may be coming from Canandaigua. 

UPDATE 9:41 p.m.: Landing zone changed to Farm Market at Route 33 and Route 19.

UPDATE 9:45 p.m.: Le Roy ambulance requested to the scene.

UPDATE 9:53 p.m.: Alexander ambulance requested to stand by in quarters because so many ambulances in the county are tied up at the moment.

UPDATE 9:55 p.m.: Darien ambulances requested to stand by in quarters. Four-minute ETA on Mercy Flight.

UPDATE 9:56 p.m.: An ambulance is in route to Strong with two patients.

UPDATE 9:58 p.m.: Bethany requested to have ambulance crew stand by in quarters.

UPDATE 10:03 p.m.: Mercy Flight on the ground.

UPDATE 10:07 p.m.: Churchville's engine requested to the scene with extrication tools.

UPDATE 10:29 p.m.: All victims extricated.

UPDATE 11:04 p.m.: Bergen back in service.

UPDATE: Video from the scene from our news partner 13WHAM.

UPDATE: Photos courtesy Alecia Kaus/Video News Service

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Car vs. pedestrian accident on Main Street in the city

By Billie Owens

A car vs. pedestrian accident with injuries is reported in front of the Movies in Motion shop at 511 E. Main St. between McKinley Avenue and Harvester Avenue. City fire is responding along with an ambulance from Alexander.

UPDATE 5:07 p.m.: Law enforcement arrived on scene and the patient was GOA -- "Gone on Arrival." The scene is clear.

Motorcycle accident reported at Bloomingdale and Griffen roads

By Billie Owens

A motorcyclist is down in the roadway after an accident at Bloomingdalew and Griffen roads on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Alabama Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding, and told to come in non-emergency mode. Minor injuries. Traffic control will be needed.

Three-car collision reported in Village of Le Roy, unknown injuries

By Billie Owens

An accident involving three vehicle is reported at 59 Main St. in Le Roy. Unknown injuries. Le Roy fire and ambulance responding.

UPDATE 4:17 p.m.: A first responder requests one bag of absorbent material for spilled fluids and says to can be brought in non-emergency mode.

UPDATE 4:24 p.m.: Make that two bags of Speedy Dry.

UPDATE 4:28 p.m.: The Le Roy assignment is back in service. No injuries reported.

Accident reported on Broadway Road, Darien

By Billie Owens

An accident involving three vehicles is reported in the area of 776 Broadway Road in Darien. There are injuries. Darien fire and ambulance dispatched along with Mercy medics. The location is east of Harlow Road.

UPDATE 11:47 a.m.: Law enforcement on scene reports only two vehicles involved. Everyone is out of the vehicles. One person has a head injury, another has a hand injury.

UPDATE 12:30 p.m.: Darien ambulance just arrived at UMMC with one patient.

License plate left behind after accident on Slusser Road

By Billie Owens

Somebody is missing a license plate from their vehicle after driving on Slusser Road in Batavia.

A dispatcher says the residents at 8299 Slusser Road "heard a loud bang about 4:30 this morning. They have the license plate and there is damage to their property." The responding deputy says "I would consider that a clue."

He just arrived there and reports that a couple of road hazard signs are down, too.

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