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Benefit for Maras family

Sat, Aug 24th 2019 07:00 am

Island Kids Child Care Center, Preschool & Pre-K, 1353 Ransom Road, will host a fundraiser for the Maras family of Grand Island, who were involved in a fatal car accident Aug. 17 in the Adirondacks.

The fundraiser, which will run from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, will include an ice cream social, 50/50 raffle and tickets to purchase for free child care.

To donate a basket or a gift certificate to be placed in the raffle, drop it off at the north location of Island Kids on Ransom Road. This event will be open to the public. Tickets will be sold at the door for ice cream social or may be purchased beforehand.

New York State Police Maj. Darrin S. Pitkin, Troop B Commander, reported that at 9:09 a.m. on Aug. 17, State Police responded to a report of a two-car crash on State Route 86 in the town of North Elba, near Wilmington. An investigation at the scene revealed that a 2013 Dodge Avenger operated by Rene Castonguay, 62, of Quebec, Canada, was traveling westbound, while a 2016 Ford Flex operated by Kevin Maras, 50, of Grand Island was traveling eastbound. The two vehicles struck head-on.

Castonguay and Maras were pronounced deceased at the scene. Essex County Coroner Francis Whitelaw responded and authorized removal of both of the deceased to the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake where autopsies were scheduled to be performed.

Passengers in the vehicle driven by Kevin Maras included his wife, Heather Maras, 51, and their daughters, Sierra, 18, and Ashley, 16.

Heather was transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont, for head, neck and spinal injuries.

Sierra was also transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont for hip and leg injuries.

Ashley was transported to the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake for facial lacerations.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Lake Placid, Wilmington and Jay fire departments all responded to the scene.

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