Black ice blamed for many crashes in Buffalo

Via MattarMedia - Police radios were crackling through the morning rush hour today, with vehicles sliding off roads and barreling into each other, slowing traffic and causing several accidents on main thoroughfares.
The culprit was black ice, that hard-to-see phenomenon that tricks drivers on sun-splashed days like today.

"We had numerous accidents all over the place, due to the road conditions," Town of Hamburg Senior Public Safety Dispatcher Tom Taylor said. "We're in the process of clearing them all up."

Another observer called it "a banner day for collision shops," although there were few, if any, reports of serious injuries in the crashes.

Some highway ramps were closed this morning, and lane closures were common as commuters inched forward in some spots.

More questions raised over Prius accident

Via MattarMedia WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - It's the wrecked 2005 Toyota Prius that Toyota has been waiting to get its hands on.

Under tents and hooked to machines in a parking lot behind the Harrison Police Department, investigators from the company got their first look. It was last week when police say the car's driver told them she crashed into a wall after the car accelerated all by itself.

“If it is a problem with the car we want to find it and fix it,” said Wade Hoyt, Toyota Northeast Public Affairs Director.

Toyota spokesman Wade Hoyt says technicians were able to recover information from the car's data recorder. Hoyt says from that data, technicians should be able to find out how fast the car was going at impact and if either the accelerator or brakes were pushed.

“If everything in the car is working correctly, the brakes will override the engine, in cars that have a brake override feature it will do it automatically,” said Hoyt.

Police said last week’s driver error did not appear to cause the accident, but Wednesday stepped back a bit saying investigators had not ruled any cause out. Hoyt says Toyota remains confident it is not an electrical problem and Acting Police Chief Anthony Marraccinni says the recovered data may not fill in all the blanks.

“I am not sure we are going to have conclusive information as to what caused this accident,” said Police Chief Anthony Marraccinni.

Marraccinni says it will take some time to go over the data and the department has hired independent forensic technicians to help investigators understand the collected information.

Police Say Failure to Yield Caused Crash

Via MattarMedia - Four people were taken to the hospital after a crash Sunday morning.

It happened just after 10 am at the intersection of Mt. Hope Avenue and Raleigh Street.

Rochester Police say a female driver didn't yield to traffic as she was making a left turn onto Raleigh. Her vehicle collided with another car heading northbound on Mt. Hope. There were initial reports to 911 of people trapped in the vehicles, but when rescue crews arrived they found there were no trapped victims.

Police say four people were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital as a precaution, but we are told there were no apparent injuries to anyone involved in the crash.

The female driver was ticked for failure to yield to the right-of-way traffic.

Mini Bike Crashes Into Cop Car; Rider Hurt

Via MattarMedia - A man went to the hospital after riding his mini bike into a police car. It happened around 12:40 Friday morning.

Rochester Police say an officer was on Jay Street turning North onto Hague Street when a mini bike traveling south on Hague turned onto Jay into the back door of the police cruiser.

The bike rider was taken to Strong Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The officer was not hurt.

Police say alcohol and or drugs may have been involved and the driver was not wearing a helmet. Police say he faces numerous traffic violations.

Couple Aids Woman in Car Accident

Via MattarMedia - Hamburg, NY - Stacey MacLaren is recovering from a car accident last Friday.
The terrifying experience also left her inspired by the kindness of a couple she'd never met. "She had such a soothing voice," MacLaren said of the woman.

MacLaren was headed west on the I-90, on her way to pick up her son from pre-school. Her other son, Owen, just 16 months old, was strapped in the passenger seat.

In an instant, her plans changed. "The SUV in front of us went out of control, hit the cement barrier, and started rolling towards us," MacLaren recalled.

She avoided hitting the SUV, but the car behind her slammed into her car.

Still recovering from a previous back surgery, MacLaren was in tremendous pain and could barely move.

That's when she says out of nowhere, a man and woman stopped. She says the pair spent at least 45 minutes tending to her injuries and calming her baby. They even called her husband and sister-in-law to relay instructions. "They don't know me, you know, I'm not a relative of theirs, I'm not a friend, it was just something they were doing," MacLaren said. "They were good people."

Good people that made an impact stronger than a collision-and that's why she's trying to find them. The last time she saw them, Stacey was on a stretcher. "I touched her hand and I said, 'are you an EMT?'" she recalled. "And she said, 'No, honey. We just stopped to help.'"

New state law changes rules for teen drivers

Via MattarMedia SYRACUSE, N.Y. - There's a reason they call it "sweet 16." As you step closer to adulthood, part of that independence means getting behind the wheel, but it's about to get much harder for teens to cruise off once they blow out those birthday candles.


New York is putting a brake on that urge with a new law that kicks in on Monday. There's now a six month waiting period to take a road test if you're applying for a learner's permit. Teens must also log 50 hours of supervised driving.

"The majority of fatalities in teen crashes are those other than the teens so this is not just geared toward teen driver safety. It will be a benefit to all drivers and roadway users as a whole,” said Diana Dibble, AAA Public Affairs Manager.

New York already has a graduated driver's license system in place, which includes a mandatory defensive driving course, but many felt it could be better.

"Maybe with some longer driving sessions, with family and things of that nature and driving schools, they will see how dangerous it can be if they're trying to text and things of that nature where if a person gets their license right away, they may still be fairly uninformed,” said Jeffrey Baird, Able II Driving President.

In addition to requiring more experience, this new law is specifically looking to eliminate that kind of distracted driving. All electronics are banned and teens can now have only one non-family member with them in the car. Though this last point may be the most dreaded, this group of young drivers admit it may be necessary.

"I'll probably be left out in the cold because I've been bumming rides off my friends for a while and I'm sure they'll be happy to get rid of me,” said Paul O'Donnell, learner's permit driver.

"When you get a group of three or four teenagers in a car at a time, there's a lot of conversation and gossip going on I guess and it can be distracting definitely,” said Erin Callahan, learner's permit driver.

Other states that have implemented similar laws have seen a reduction in fatal crashes in 38%.

DWI sweep results due out today

Via MattarMedia ALBANY COUNTY - If you were out this past weekend, you probably saw the extra officers on the road.

It was the latest drunk driving sweep through Albany County -- this one timed to coincide with the Super Bowl.

The weekend blanket patrols ended early this morning.

We'll have the numbers on those arrested later today.

Cocaine fuels crash at Chippewa bar

Via MattarMedia - A driver has been arrested after crashing into a downtown Buffalo bar.

A gray Ford Taurus smashed into 67 West on West Chippewa just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday night.

The crash shattered the front door window and knocked down a barricade.

Buffalo Police found the suspect, 21-year-old William Mobley to be in possession of crack cocaine.

Two employees at the bar were injured and Mobley was taken to ECMC with non-life threatening injuries.

Webster Police Cruiser Hit; Driver Charged With DWI

Via MattarMedia - Webster Police charged a man with driving drunk after he hit a parked police cruiser late Thursday night.

It happened on Empire Boulevard around 11:30 p.m.

Police said an officer saw a man walking eastbound on Empire Boulevard too close to the shoulder of the road. When the officer got out of his car to approach the man, a car headed westbound on Empire crashed into the officer's vehicle.

"Our patrol car did have the emergency lights on and unfortunately with people who are drinking and driving they are a danger to everyone on the road," said Webster Police Sergeant Carl Adriaansen.

The officer and the man walking down the road were not hurt.

A female passenger in the other driver's suffered minor injuries and was taken to Strong Hospital for treatment.

Toyota Recall: Customers Voice Concerns about Insurance Coverage

Via MattarMedia - Toyota drivers all across the Capital Region are questioning their vehicle's safety, and whether insurance coverage will stand, if they drive the car while waiting for it to be repaired. Toyota service shops are busy repairing as many of the recalled Toyota's as they can. John Joyce of Clifton Park said he just discovered on Wednesday that his 2010 Camry is among the millions that have been recalled. He's scheduled for repairs next week. Joyce said, "I just didn't think that I'd be impacted because the car ran so well, but like I said, I checked it out today and it is one of the ones that has to be repaired."

Car insurance agents say your policy should have you covered, should something happen while waiting for that repair appointment. Joshua Dewez of Canoe Associates, an insurance company in Clifton Park says, "Insurance will cover you in case of an accident that you caused. Now that being said if its due to a faulty pedal that sticks and it's found that the manufacturers problem caused the accident, then there could be recourse." Dewez says insurance will fight it out with Toyota, in the meantime, he says, don't delay getting that pedal repaired.

Man launches crusade against distracted drivers

Via MattarMedia QUEENSBURY - Calling distracted driving the greatest threat facing our nation, a Queensbury man has taken up the battle - and with good reason. He says his family was destroyed by drunken drivers.

Larry Waimon's story is like no other. Three different times, three drunken drivers hurt him and killed the people he loved.

Now, he's taking on distracted drivers. We've all seen it - and most of us have done it - talking or texting while driving or perhaps even eating lunch while at the wheel.

"It concerns me. It should concern everybody that shares the road with these menaces. They're the bane of society right now,” Waimon said.

Waimon knows a menace when he sees one. The Queensbury man was himself struck and disabled by a drunken driver. His grandmother was killed by a drunken driver. His father was killed by a drunken driver. Three separate incidents.

Waimon made it his life's work to reduce drunken driving. Now he's begun a new crusade.

"It's like the finger in the dyke syndrome. You plug one hole and 10 others spring a leak. Just getting a foothold on drunk driving after a century and now this comes on the horizon, which is more important because it involves our nation's youth,” he said.

Drawing on his experience as a cop and as an advocate for tougher DWI laws, Waimon's taking his message to lawmakers. He’s asking for stiffer penalties and more enforcement of distracted driving laws. He says if the fines are high enough, most people will stop.

“The only hammer we have to hold over them is money. If the punitive measures are such that they can't pay their phone bill, then they say, 'I can't do this. I can't afford it,’” he said.

Waimon sees cracking down on distracted drivers as a "twofer" - a way to save lives and raise revenue for cash-strapped local governments.

Teen gets prison for post-Bills game crash

Via MattarMedia - The 19-year-old who hit several people with his car outside a Buffalo Bills game in October was sentenced to nine years in prison.

A state Supreme Court judge rejected Brandon McLean's request to go to a substance abuse treatment program in Buffalo.

McLean was charged for a series of hit-and-runs October 11 after he sped out of a parking lot at Ralph Wilson Stadium, where the Bills had just lost to the Cleveland Browns.

McLean injured three pedestrians and four law enforcement officers. He ended up crashing into a telephone pole near the stadium.

McLean pleaded guilty in December to charges that included aggravated vehicular assault, reckless endangerment and driving while ability impaired.

Pilot error caused the crash

Federal investigators confirmed what the families of the victims of flight 3407 already expected, pilot error caused the crash.

The NTSB says both the pilot and first officer ignored sterile cockpit rules.

They let the plane reach dangerously slow speeds and the pilot did the opposite of what he should have done.

The NTSB determined an inappropriate response to an emergency by the captain and first officer of Continental flight 3407 led to the crash last February in Clarence Center, that claimed 50 lives.

Officials say the flight crew also made easily avoidable mistakes. Beginning with the crew entering contradictory speed warning information before takeoff. And once they were in the air, there was endless chatter.

Investigators say that caused the crew not to notice the plane was slowing down.

"It was as if the flight was just a means for the captain to conduct a conversation with this young first officer," said Robert Sumwalt, NTSB Chair.

NTSB investigators say the actions that followed were ineffective.

"His failure to make standard call outs or even a declarative statement associated with the recovery attempt further suggests that he was not responding to the situation using a well-learned habit pattern," said Dr. Evan Byrne of the NTSB.

The report concludes when the plane lost control, three times Pilot Marvin Renslow pulled back on the cockpit's stick pusher instead of pushing forward, raising questions about his training.

Captain Renslow's records also show he failed five flight tests, which raised even more questions about hiring practices at regional airlines.

Toyota announces plan to fix pedals

Via MattarMedia - Toyota Release: Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A., Inc., Monday announced it will begin fixing accelerator pedals in recalled Toyota Division vehicles this week. Toyota’s engineers have developed and rigorously tested a solution that involves reinforcing the pedal assembly in a manner that eliminates the excess friction that has caused the pedals to stick in rare instances. In addition, Toyota has developed an effective solution for vehicles in production.

Parts to reinforce the pedals are already being shipped for use by dealers, and dealer training is under way. Many Toyota dealers will work extended hours to complete the recall campaign as quickly and conveniently as possible, some even staying open 24 hours a day. The company has also taken the unprecedented action of stopping production of affected vehicles for the week of February 1.

Man Airlifted After Snowmobile Accident

Via MattarMedia - A Wayne County man was airlifted to the hospital after he lost control of his snowmobile Sunday evening.

The accident happened near Ridge Road in the town of Williamson. Sheriff's deputies say 20-year old Mason Wilson of Ontario was on a trail when he lost control and hit the handlebars.

He was taken by Mercy Flight to Strong Hospital for treatment. There was no word on the severity of his injuries.

Most Drivers Say They're King of the Road

Via MattarMedia - How do you rate yourself behind the wheel of a car? If you're like most drivers, you think think your skills are far better than others on the road. That's the finding of a new survey by psychologists at Ottawa University.

The superior rating may be good for the ego but could also mean big trouble for some drivers, particularly young men. Researchers say since many people overrate their driving abilities, it can make them less cautious and lead to more accidents.

In a breakdown of the data, all drivers --- men, women, young and old --- gave themselves a grade higher than that of the average motorist. Drivers aged 65 and older say they were far superior in a comparison with motorists in their same age group. Middle-aged men said they were better than other drivers their age and far better than younger and older drivers.

The results of the new survey are published in the journal "Accident Analysis and Prevention."

Train Crashes Into Car in Wayne County

Via MattarMedia - Wayne County Sheriff's deputies tell News 8 that a train has crashed into a car in Macedon.

Macedon Center Firefighters and Wayne County Sheriff's deputies say the incident happened at 6:20 a.m. near Canandaigua and Quaker Roads.

Canandaigua Road is closed.

No word yet on any injuries but we do have a crew on scene and will bring you the latest details as they become available.

Teenage girl sentenced in DWI fatality

Via MattarMedia LOCKPORT— Ashley M. Sullivan is in the Niagara County Jail today, and Facebook may be to blame as much as the car crash that killed a Niagara Falls man.

Sullivan, 17, of Linden Avenue, North Tonawanda, was sentenced Wednesday to six months in the County Jail and five years’ probation for crashing her car while drunk and killing her boyfriend May 30 on Sweeney Street in North Tonawanda.

She pleaded guilty Nov. 18 to criminally negligent homicide and misdemeanor driving while intoxicated.

The Buffalo News has learned that Sullivan went to Florida a month after the crash and posted a photo on her Facebook Web page captioned, “Drunk in Florida.”

“I’m troubled by your conduct since the crash,” County Judge Matthew J. Murphy III told Sullivan, “and that’s the reason for the jail sentence.”

Murphy also refused to grant Sullivan youthful offender status for the same reason.

“I don’t believe the defendant has earned it,” the judge said.

Murphy, in reading the terms of probation, went out of his way to emphasize to Sullivan that she isn’t allowed to drink for the next five years.

“You’re 17 years old. You’re not old enough to drink,” Murphy said.

When defense attorney Glenn Murray said in court, “This young woman is remorseful,” someone laughed among a crowd of more than two dozen of the victim’s friends and relatives, drawing a reprimand from the judge.

Sullivan was drunk at 2:21 a. m. May 30, when she crashed her car into a brick pillar in front of Deerwood Golf Course. Her blood alcohol content was measured at 0.13 percent — the legal standard for intoxication is 0.08 percent—and her speed was estimated at 56 mph in a 30-mph zone.

Her boyfriend and passenger, Alex Rozicki, 20, of Niagara Falls, was killed.

“They say he died on impact. Sometimes I hear him screaming and then, silence,” Renee Rozicki, the victim’s mother, said in court. “I wonder if he felt any pain or fear.”

She said her son was a huge Buffalo Sabres fan and was buried with his Sabres jersey.

“Alex was an organ donor. He thought that from an early age that if anything happened to him, he could leave parts behind to give somebody a better life,” his mother said.

Deputy District Attorney Theodore A. Brenner said Renee Rozicki told a probation officer during the presentencing investigation that she would prefer a split sentence combining jail with probation.

“That’s awfully decent of her,” Brenner said, adding that the family opposed youthful-offender status.

Murphy, who could have sentenced Sullivan to up to four years in state prison, said his decision was difficult “because of the defendant’s extreme youth and her past history.”

He ordered that after Sullivan gets out of jail, she will be under electronic home monitoring for a year. He also revoked her driver’s license.

“My client failed to consider the consequences, the tragic consequences,” Murray said. “This offender understands the tragedy she is responsible for. She will never forgive herself.”

He said Sullivan had decided not to speak at the sentencing, although when Murphy asked her, Sullivan managed to say, “I’m very sorry,” before breaking down in tears.

The Rozicki family is expected to file a wrongful death suit against Sullivan. Attorney Robert Viola of Niagara Falls is handling that case.

Female Driver Seriously Injured in Three-Car Crash

Via MattarMedia - A female driver suffered serious head and internal injuries Wednesday morning after a three-car crash on Scottsville Road.

The collision happened around 7:30 a.m. Sheriff's deputies said Janelle Varin, 23, was traveling northbound, when witnesses said she entered the southbound lane colliding with a box truck.

The impact forced her vehicle into the opposite lane, where she was then hit by an SUV. The driver of the box truck left the scene; police are searching for that vehicle.

Varin is being treated at Strong Hospital, where she is listed in guarded condition.

The driver of the blue SUV was also taken to the hospital to be evaluated. A third driver also involved in the crash was not injured.

Scottsville Road was shut down for some time while sheriff's investigators reconstructed the accident.

Questions linger around bad crash

Via MattarMedia - Police are investigating a bad crash in Cheektowaga.

It happened on Broadway near Union Road involving two cars. There's no word at this hour on any names or the extent of any injuries.