Sheriff Gregory Rudolph reports: On February 25, 2020 at 4:13 p.m., the
Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office Communications Division received a 911 call of
a car versus tractor-trailer crash on Route 39 at the East Lake Road
intersection in the Town of Castile.
Sheriff’s Deputy, Sergeant Aaron Chase, arrived within minutes. The owner/operator of the car was deceased on
arrival and has been identified as Renee MORRIS- age 38 of Portageville. She was traveling with two of her children
who were rear seat passengers. A 10-year-old
was taken by the Castile Ambulance to WCCHS and was later transferred to Strong
Memorial Hospital for minor injuries and was later discharged. An 11-year-old was taken by Perry Ambulance
to Strong Memorial Hospital for head trauma and is still a patient there. The driver of the tractor-trailer was
identified as Stephen REED of New London, CT and he was not injured.
The Sheriff’s Office Crash Management Team is still
investigating the crash, though, some details are known. The tractor-trailer was eastbound on East
Lake Road and stopped at the Route 39 intersection. He then proceeded into the intersection,
turning left (north) as Renee MORRIS’ car was southbound on Route 39 and her
car struck the rear axle area of the trailer portion of the tractor-trailer in
a “right angle” type collision. Mr. REED
was cited with Failure to Yield the Right of Way at a Stop Sign; however, the
weather conditions were a contributing factor as a dense fog covered the
area. The Crash Management Team will
further evaluate crash data and evidence in the days to come.
Assisting at the scene:
Perry Police Department, Wyoming County Coroner Michael Smith, Perry
Ambulance, Castile Fire Department, Monroe Ambulance, Perry Fire Department,
Gainesville Fire Department, Pike Fire Department, Silver Springs Fire
Department, Wyoming County Emergency Management and the NYSP- Commercial
Vehicle Unit.
Sheriff’s Office First Responders & Crash Management
Team: Captain Ed Till, Investigator Brad
McGinnis, Sergeant Aaron Chase, Sergeant Chris Bryant, Deputy Dan Kemp, Deputy
Austin Harding, Deputy John Button and Deputy Bill Asquith.
