Published: November 16, 2006 01:01 am            

AUTO ACCIDENT: Wreck sends 2 to ECMC

TOWN OF LOCKPORT — Two people were taken to the hospital after an accident involving a concrete truck at the corner of Saunders Settlement and Upper Mountain roads Wednesday afternoon.

Sheriff’s deputies say at about 2:34 p.m., a Ford Crown Victoria driven by Crystal Kemp, 23, of Niagara Falls, was traveling west on Sounders Settlement. While making a left onto Upper Mountain Road, she was hit broadside by an American Cement Co. truck, driven by Thomas Danna, 43, of Lockport, which was traveling south.

Kemp and the passenger in the car, Riginal Caldwell, 16, of Niagara Falls, had to be extracted from the car by firefighters. Caldwell was transported to ECMC by Lockport Fire Department ambulance, while Kemp was transported to ECMC by Mercy Flight.

South Lockport Fire Chief James Clewell said Danna was uninjured and refused any treatment at the scene

Deputy Troy Livesay was the first to arrive at the scene and said everyone was lucky to get out of this accident without more serious injuries.

“The injuries don’t appear to be life-threatening,” he said.

The driver was taken by Mercy Flight to ECMC as a precaution because of neck and head injuries, he said.

As emergency personnel worked to get the patients loaded for transport and clean up the scene, traffic on Upper Mountain Road was backed up for about half a mile.

Skid marks on the pavement appeared to indicate the driver of the concrete truck tried to brake before impact, deputies said.

While it was unclear at first exactly what caused the accident, Livesay said both vehicles had a green light, and the collision was possibly caused by a failure to yield on Kemp’s part.

“It appears she didn’t see the concrete truck going through the intersection, which caused the crash,” he said. “He’s got the right of way.”

The sheriff’s department is still investigating the crash. No charges had been filed Wednesday.

        

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