Fatal accident, fire affect local residents

The Niagara County Sheriff's Office and Tribune-area police agencies dealt with some serious calls recently, including a fatal accident and a fire on Monday, plus an armed robbery on Dec. 24.

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Two die in Walmore Road accident

Two residents of the Tuscarora Nation died early Monday after a one-car accident in the 5500 block of Walmore Road.

After receiving a call at 2:14 a.m., Lewiston Police officers arrived at the scene to find a 1997 Buick LeSabre broken in two parts off the shoulder of the road. One section was wrapped around a tree and on fire, and the other section containing the passengers was overturned about 30 feet away.

Both occupants, driver Brandon M. Rickard, 32, and his passenger Danyle M. White, 29, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Preliminary investigation showed the vehicle was traveling northbound on Walmore when it crossed into the oncoming lane and continued off the road into the tree. According to police reports, speed was believed to be a factor in the accident and other causes still are being investigated.

Fire sends tenants out of Anchor Motel

The Anchor Motel at 2232 River Road, Wheatfield, sustained heavy damage after a large fire was reported about 1 a.m. Monday, Dec. 30, in a 911 call to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office Communications Center.

The call reported heavy smoke coming from the roof of the Anchor. Several Niagara County Sheriff's deputies arrived on scene within minutes of the initial dispatch and observed the roof of the motel on fire above several rooms. Deputies went door to door checking all 19 units. Five of the rooms were occupied at the time and the tenants were evacuated.

Multiple Niagara County fire companies, including Frontier, St. Johnsburg, Adams, Bergholz, Niagara Active Hose, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, Upper Mountain and the North Tonawanda Fire Police, responded. The Red Cross was called in to assist the tenants. The fire remains under investigation by the Niagara County Origin and Cause Unit.

Armed robbery reported at Wheatfield Kwik Fill

The Niagara County Sheriff's Office is investigating an armed robbery that occurred on Dec. 24 at Kwik Fill, 3945 Niagara Falls Blvd.

The suspect entered the gas station and displayed a handgun to the clerk demanding cash. The suspect left the store after taking an undetermined amount of money. The suspect left the area after getting into a vehicle parked on the roadside on Crescent Drive behind Kwik Fill.

Anyone with information can call Investigator Brian Schell from the Sheriff's Criminal Investigation Bureau at 716-438-3328.