River accident prompts warnings from officials

Similar accidents have plagued Island in the past

by Karen Keefe
Grand Island Dispatch, December 3, 2004

An early-morning car crash Nov. 26 that sent three young men into the east branch of the Niagara River has become an all too familiar a scene on Grand Island.

Law enforcement officials say the combination of excessive speed, alcohol and youthful driving has proven to be a deadly combination.

In this case, the three young men are lucky to be alive.

“You don’t joyride on Island roads in the dark when you’ve been drinking,” cautioned Ray Pauley, public information officer for the Grand Island Fire Company

‘Extremely Fortunate’

“Those guys were extremely fortunate not to have a fatality,” he added.

On a chilly winter morning Feb. 10, 2002, a 19-year-old Grand Islander lost his life in a similar accident along the West River. A passenger managed to escape the sinking vehicle.

In last week’s accident, two men were seriously injured and a third charged with Driving While Intoxicated after their car plunged into the water at about 1 a.m. at East River and Ransom roads.

All three were able to escape from the partially submerged wreckage, make their way to shore and request 911 assistance at a relative’s residence in the 700 block of Ransom Road.

Driver Charged

The driver, Kevin White, 22, of West Lafayette, Indiana, formerly of Grand Island, was treated at the scene for a minor hand injury. White was charged with DWI by Grand Island Police and taken to the Erie County Holding Center. He was released on bail with a January return date to Grand Island Town Court.

The Sheriff’s Department is consulting with the Erie County District Attorney’s office regarding additional charges, which may include speeding, failure to stop and reckless driving, according to Deputy Jim Bauer, who, along with Deputy Michael Summers, is investigating the accident.

Passenger is ‘Fair’

Rear-seat passenger Jose Palma, 22, also of Grand Island, is hospitalized at the Erie County Medical Center in fair condition after suffering severe head wounds.

The front-seat passenger, Thomas Williams, 24, of Grand Island was treated by Grand Island Fire Company paramedics for a neck injury, stabilized and transported to ECMC for treatment of neck and back injuries. He was later released.

Erie County Sheriffs deputies said the vehicle driven by White was eastbound on Ransom Road at a high rate of speed when it passed through the stop sign at East River Road. The vehicle crashed through a guardrail and came to rest 100 feet from the roadway in the east branch of the Niagara River.

Bauer said, “This is not a case of a dangerous road.” He said the driver “was just going too fast -- somewhere around 100 mph, and across the road is the river.”

He said his advice to drivers is the standard one: “Don’t drink and drive. If you do drink, you’re better off carrying a $50 bill and calling a cab.”

Other Accidents Along River

The Niagara River has been the scene of several accidents in recent years, some with tragic results.

• More than two years ago, Travis Hennigar, 19, of Grand Island lost his life when the car he was driving plunged into the West River at Bedell Road. A passenger, Jeff Critelli, 18, escaped the vehicle.

Officials said the car was headed west on Bedell Road at a high rate of speed when it hit a culvert parallel to West River Parkway, became airborne and catapulted into the water.

• Another similar accident occurred on March 17, 2003. at Staley and West River roads, according to Pauley. The fire company responded to the scene after someone from Canada reported seeing a car come down the embankment of the river.

Crews found the car at the edge of the river. It was stopped from entering the water by a tree the vehicle had struck on the way down the steep embankment. The car had gone through a stop sign and over a guard rail.

Thomas Meiler, 49, of Lockport was extricated from the car, treated by paramedics and taken to an area hospital for treatment of a non-critical upper body injury.

McMahon: Get Word Out

Town Supervisor Peter McMahon said high speed has been a factor in several similar accidents along the river. “You would normally expect an Islander would be familiar with the roads. ... There is a certain amount of responsibility that has to go to the driver.”

He said the coverage by sheriffs’ patrols has been excellent, and DWI enforcement is way above what it was even a year ago.

McMahon added police presence on Grand Island has increased in the wake of 9/11 and the establishment of a Homeland Security department of the federal government.

But, “laws and signs aren’t going to help when people do something that doesn’t make sense,” McMahon said.

“We need to get the word out that there are serious consequences for drinking and driving.”

In last Friday’s accident, members of the Grand Island Fire Company assisted sheriffs department accident investigators at the scene, according to Assistant Chief Matt Osinski. New York State Police and State Police also assisted at the scene.

Last January, the Fire Company received a grant of $3,500 through Erie County Legislator Chuck Swanick (D-10th District) to aid in the purchase of its new Zodiac rescue craft. Other money was raised in a fund drive, to meet the approximate cost of $7,500. The new craft replaces one that was damaged in previous rescues.

Chief Greg Butcher said at the time, “This new equipment gives the Grand Island Fire Company water rescue team the tools for a safer and swifter response, as they risk their lives to come to the rescue of those facing danger in the water.”

Marine rescues are “one of the specialized areas that our volunteers train for day in and day out,” Butcher said.

Niagara Frontier Publications staffer Phyllis Wesolek assisted in the preparation of this report.