Authorities announced the devastating news that seven people were killed in upstate New York as the result of a horrendous car crash that involved a minivan and a tractor-trailer. While both were on a two-lane highway in the bucolic upstate region, the tractor apparently smashed into the van, leaving behind victims that unfortunately included children of two separate families.
The passengers in the minivan numbered eight and were travelling south on the highway in question (Route 13 by Truxton, NY) when, around 6 p.m., the trailer connected to the tractor was somehow dislodged and weaved off its path across the center lane where it collided with the van, which was torn apart before both the rig and passenger vehicle came to a stop at the highway shoulder.
The accident occurred approximately 25 miles south of Syracuse, NY, according to Associated Press, whose report on the tragedy was published on the night of Wednesday, May 29 before being updated on Thursday, May 30.
Area officials have yet to release the names of the victims of the crash. There were also two passengers in the tractor who were not injured in any way. There has yet to be any information that has surfaced as regards what happened to cause the incident.
Though authorities are currently underway in the investigating of the incident, there was said to have been thunderstorms at the time of the accident in the Truxton area, according to Binghampton's National Weather Service. There were also "steady showers" and hail at the time of the incident, which implies road conditions may have been a factor.
"It was a bad accident," Cortland County Sheriff's Department's Capt. Mark Helms said of the tractor having "ripped apart" the minivan with eight passengers inside of it.
The surviving member of the passenger group in the minivan was rushed to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. The condition of said passenger has not yet been released (as of the morning of Thursday, May 30).
Cortland County Coroner Whitney Meeker, who confirmed the deaths of the seven minivan passengers, said autopsies will likely take place over the next two days and that the next of kin will be notified via the Cortland County Sheriff's Department early Thursday morning.
According to the Boston Globe's report, Route 13 was closed until 1:20 a.m. Thursday morning so that authorities could begin their investigation of the wreck and remove debris from the road.
Truxton, NY has a small population of 1,100 residents and is only a few miles northeast of the town of Cortland itself.
"It's the worst thing I've ever seen," Ann Maxson, 74, of Truxton said, according to the Washington Post. "It's a close-knit community. Everybody cares for everybody."
The Post's report revealed the deaths included four children and three adults, all from the local area.
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