'An incredibly difficult scene.' Crash that left 2 children dead in Rochester under investigation
Two children are dead and one child is in critical condition after a two-car crash at the intersection of Mt. Read Boulevard and Lyell Avenue in Rochester Wednesday morning.
The incident occurred around 9:45 a.m.
Commander Greg Bello of the Rochester Police Department said a vehicle with three children and an adult driver was heading southbound on Mt. Read. The driver was attempting to turn left onto Lyell Avenue when that vehicle collided with a northbound vehicle.
The driver of the northbound vehicle was alone in his car. Both adults were taken to area hospitals with what were described as non-life-threatening injuries.
Lt Jeffrey Simpson, public information officer for the Rochester Fire Department, said that it appeared all three children were ejected from the vehicle after it was T-boned in the intersection.
An 11-year-old child was pronounced dead at the scene. An 8-year-old and a 4-year-old child were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital. According to Simpson, the 4-year-old was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The ferocity of the accident was evident from the amount of debris that was strewn throughout the roadway.
“It’s an incredibly difficult scene,” Bello said. “To have deceased children heading into the holiday season is crushing.”
Police did not release the identity of any of the victims, pending notification of family members.
Bello did say that all of the people involved in the crash were city residents.
The busy intersection, on Rochester's west side, is near Theodore Roosevelt School 43, a K-6 school. Classes were not in session Wednesday because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Bello said the intersection, one of the area's busiest, would likely remain closed most of the day.
He added that it was too soon to say exactly what caused the crash.
Investigators were beginning the process of gathering evidence, including surveillance video that might show what happened. It's unclear, he said, if any charges would be filed against either driver.
Contact staff reporter Sean Lahman at slahman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @seanlahman.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Mt. Read Blvd. crash leaves 2 children dead in Rochester NY
