ARKWRIGHT - Charles McDermott who lives at the corner of Bard Road and Center Road at the site of the first cheese factory in Chautauqua County knows that when the snow comes so do the accidents near his home.
He now records the accidents and takes pictures. Last March he contacted County Sheriff Joseph Gerace after an accident by Park Police whose vehicle left the road and overturned in back of his house. McDermott says there are many unreported accidents.
Gerace turned over McDermott's information to the Chautauqua County Traffic Safety Board. At its September meeting, the group decided more study was needed. There were four reported accidents at the intersection and it wasn't immediately evident what would help the situation. Their next meeting was scheduled for Dec. 6 in the south county.
Article Photos
Photo submitted by Charles McDermott
Friday at 4 p.m. this car went off the road near the intersection of Bard Road and Center Road in Arkwright. No injuries occurred and there was no damage.
McDermott documented two recent accidents at the site. On Friday, at about 4 p.m. a car went off the road and into a ditch.
"First snow of the season; first car in the ditch at Center and Bard Road," he wrote. "No injuries or damage thankfully."
The other accident took place on Sunday at about noon. McDermott said the stop sign was taken out, and he believed the driver was ticketed. A call to the New York State Police headquarters in Fredonia Sunday evening confirmed the accident and the trooper believed a ticket was issued. Unfortunately, the officer who answered the call had gone off duty and the final report was not done.
Both the state police and the Chautauqua county sheriff reported they were called out to accidents due at least in part to the weather. A spokeswoman for the sheriff's office said, "There were about a dozen or so accidents, especially in the south county where roads were glazed over."
In Frewsburg, on Saturday morning, Jerri Sparling, 59, of Frewsburg was involved in a personal injury rollover when she lost control of her car on Frew Run Road. Her vehicle entered a ditch, rolled over, and came to rest on its roof. She was transported to WCA hospital by Frewsburg rescue for non-life threatening injuries.
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