State Police and first responders clearing I-86 as the state police start the accident reconstruction investigation. Angelica Fire and Rescue photo.
By JOHN ANDERSON
First responders were able to free two people from a 2009 Kia Optima after an accident on Interstate 86 in Angelica on Monday night around 9 p.m.
Amity-based State Police said the vehicle was heading West on Interstate 86 in Angelica when it lost control on the snow and ice and spun multiple times. The Kia struck guide rails on both sides of the road and stopped in the middle of the left lane.
A 2022 Volkswagen tractor trailer, also traveling West on I-86, then struck the Kia.
Angelica Fire and Rescue responded to the scene and Advance Life Support EMT’s with ambulances from Medical Transport Services (MTS), Belfast and Wellsville.
First responders attempted to get helicopters to the scene. One of the medical helicopter companies was unable to come to the scene so the two patients in the Kia were taken by ambulance to Jones Memorial Hospital.
A medical helicopter, MercyFlight 1, transported the patients from Wellsville’s landing zone to Strong Memorial Hospital where they are in intensive care with serious injuries, troopers said.
The driver of the tractor trailer did not have injuries, troopers said.
Troopers said the accident is still under investigation.
UPDATE:
From Angelica Fire and Rescue:
“At 20:57 last night we were dispatched along with MTS Ambulance to I-86 West bound near MM110 in the Town of Angelica for an MVA involving a tractor trailer. The first arriving units confirmed there were patients still in the vehicles, some with serious injury. While medics worked on patients firefighters used extrication equipment to remove doors and the roof for better access to the patients. Additional requests were made for ambulances and medics out of Belfast and Wellsville as well as a request for two helicopters. Due to weather, time, and availability only one helicopter was able to make it and met up with the 1st ambulance after it was in route to JMH, landing at the Loader Street LZ in Wellsville. Another patient was also taken to JMH and a third patient signed off at the scene.
Assisting us and MTS at the scene were Belfast Ambulance and Chiefs, Wellsville Ambulance and medics the NYS Police, AL-51, DC-1, and the NYS DOT. Also thank you to the dispatchers at Allegany County 911 for handling all the communications and requests. An excellent job by all!”