State Police released the identities of those involved in the fatal accident on the New York State Thruway early-Monday morning.
The driver, who is in critical condition, was identified as Sean Ferguson, of Buffalo.
The two children who died in the wreck were identified as Amir and Shamel Middleton. They were 9- and 11-years-old respectively.
The passenger, identified as 34-year-old Shenaya Washington suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Monday Evening Update
It was a horrific scene, according to State Police.
When they arrived on the scene of a single-car accident between exits 42 and 43 an overturned SUV was the only thing that was certain.
Investigation revealed that two of the occupants, children ages 9- and 11-years-old had been tossed from the vehicle after it struck a guardrail along the roadway. The operator of the SUV, a 31-year-old man, over-corrected — causing the vehicle to rollover multiple times.
Police say that the 1997 Nissan Pathfinder was on its side in the right lane when they arrived. The two deceased boys, who were pronounced dead at the scene, were not wearing seatbelts.
“The driver went off the south side of the roadway and clipped the guardrail,” Trooper Mark O’Donnell said of the incident. “That is when the vehicle overturned, several times.”
“Nothing will bring these two boys back to their mother,” O’Donnell added. “It is a horrific scene for her. She was conscious when we arrived and certainly distraught.”
State Police conceded that seatbelts could have saved their lives.
O’Donnell continued, “It does not mean it is 100 percent that you are going to survive, but the percentages increase dramatically when you are seat belted in.”
The 31-year-old driver had serious injuries. He was listed in critical condition, according to police. The female passenger, who was identified as the mother of the two boys — did not suffer any life threatening injuries.
Police were at one point looking for a driver of a second vehicle. However, they located her about 10 miles away. No criminal charges are going to be pressed against the second driver, according to police.
“There was no criminal intent. You do not expect anyone to be in the roadway, ever and that person still has to live with the fact that they struck somebody,” O’Donnell explained.
Police believe that the driver of the second vehicle ran over one of the two children after they were thrown from the vehicle.
That stretch of the Thruway was not opened up again until the afternoon hours.
The investigation is ongoing and this story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Update #2
State Police have shed a little more light on the accident that happened around 5:45 am in Manchester on the New York State Thruway.
Police say that a single-vehicle was found on it’s side after being overturned in the right lane. Two children — ages 9- and 11-years-old were pronounced dead at the scene.
A male driver was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in critical condition, while a female passenger was taken to the hospital for non-lifethreatening injuries.
The two boys and their mother were returning home from Brooklyn when the accident happened. The three are from Buffalo area, according to State Police.
The second vehicle was located about ten miles down the road, according to police. The driver of that vehicle thought they hit debris.
Update #1
State Police are calling the accident that happened on the New York State Thruway between exits 42 and 43 fatal, as they continue to investigate the incident.
They say the accident happened at 5:48 am and two people died as result of the single-vehicle crash.
No additional details were provided, but traffic was still being diverted away — hours after the accident happened.
Original Story
Thruway officials say an accident that happened around 6 am on I-90 between exits 42 and 43 left traffic backed up for miles.
The Thruway’s twitter account first posted about the accident around 6 a.m.: “Injury accident: WB on I-90 exit 42-exit 43: All lanes blocked.”
A 13WHAM photojournalist who was stuck in the traffic jam reported it was a single car crash, two miles outside of the Manchester. One vehicle was overturned and all people involved in the crash transported to a nearby hospital.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Check out the footage below from social media.
NEW: Photo from 13WHAM photographer of traffic stopped on I-90W between Geneva and Manchester https://t.co/E5HcttQ97g #13WHAM pic.twitter.com/LpmYmkPNuH
— 13WHAM (@13WHAM) April 17, 2017
Back up on 90 West. Cars being diverted using an access road. There is a crash up ahead causing the backup. pic.twitter.com/Hr2F9yfFUL
— Ashley Doerzbacher (@AshleyD_News) April 17, 2017
