Victim of Sunday’s Montezuma Flats crash identified

On Sunday at 1:09 pm on State Route 5 in the “Montezuma Flats” area of the Town of Tyre , Seneca County Sheriff’s Office investigated a fatal motor vehicle accident involving two vehicles. The roadway was shut down for about six hours as the Sheriff’s reconstruction team and Investigators worked at the scene. A 2007 Ford F350 driven By Ralph C. Brown, 58, of 37 Wintergreen Point Oswego NY as well as his passenger Debora J. Backus,62, of the same address were westbound on St Rt 5 when his vehicle entered the eastbound lane striking another vehicle head on. Brown was transported by Lifenet air ambulance to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, where he was admitted and is being treated for a broken hip and minor facial injuries. Backus was transported by North Seneca Ambulance also to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and was admitted and is being treated for knee, shoulder and facial injuries.Deputies report the driver of the other vehicle died at the scene. This driver has been positively identified as Josiah P Robin, age 20, of Locke, New York. The cause of death was determined to be multiple blunt trauma and thermal injury. Sheriff Stenberg expresses his condolences to Robin’s family and advises that the investigation into this accident is continuing. Further updates will be provided.