Bad weather leading to crashes
ALBANY COUNTY Winter weather has contributed to four car accidents handled by the Albany County Sheriffs Department, where there were no injuries and no tickets issued. A fifth accident sent the driver to the hospital.
The sheriffs department issued these reports: A car driven by Daniel Miles of Niskayuna, began to slide at 3:08 p.m. on Jan. 24. while Miles drove on Route 155, just one-tenth of a mile from Route 85A in New Scotland. Miles, 36, of Niskayuna, tried to control the car but was unable to and left the road and struck a tree, damaging his car.
The next day, New Scotland saw two more auto accidents.
On the morning of Jan. 25, around 7:45 a.m., Patricia A. Barrett of Delmar was driving west on Route 85 and slid on black ice. Barrett, 47, was unable to avoid a vehicle driven by Theresa Deyoe, 54, of Clarksville, who had stopped in a westbound lane and was waiting to make a left-hand turn.
That night, around 10:20 p.m., Amanda L. Clark also ran into black ice. Clark, 18, of East Berne, was driving southeast on Route 443 and nearing Route 85 in New Scotland when she hit the ice and slid off the road. Clark overcorrected, crossed the center lines, and struck a guardrail, damaging her vehicle and the rail.
And, at about 1 a.m. the next day, another young driver, Benjamin J. Wallin, 17, of Rensselaerville, was driving in the adjacent town of Westerlo when his vehicle left the road. While driving southwest on Route 85, Wallin felt his automobile leaving the road and starting to skid. He then overcorrected, crossed the road, overcorrected again, ran off the road again, and struck a sign and an earth embankment. His vehicle then overturned and slid to a stop. Again, no injuries were reported and no traffic tickets were issued.
On the morning of Jan. 30, Colleen C. LaFontaine, 37, of New Scotland, was travelling north on Krumkill Road in New Scotland. Just south of Salem Court, LaFontaine lost control of her vehicle on the ice-covered road. Her automobile left the road and rolled over on its roof. LaFontaine was extricated from the vehicle and transported to Albany Medical Center Hospital by the Western Turnpike Rescue Squad.
