Emergency crews responded Monday morning to a serious crash involving a truck hauling cattle in the Town of Hector.
According to the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened at the intersection of State Route 79 and State Route 227 when a four-door sedan driven by Lan Tian, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, allegedly failed to yield at a stop sign. Deputies say a westbound truck pulling a livestock trailer swerved to avoid the car, left the road, and rolled over.
Two people were inside the truck. One refused medical treatment, while the driver was pinned in the wreckage and had to be freed by emergency crews using heavy equipment. The driver was then airlifted by LifeNet to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania.
The trailer, owned by Seneca Valley Dairy Farms LLC, was transporting about 10 cattle. None appeared to be injured, but the animals were moved to a holding pen for observation.
As a result of the crash and recovery operations, State Route 227 was closed for roughly 3.5 hours, with traffic detoured onto State Route 79.
Deputies say Tian was issued two citations: leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident and failure to yield the right of way after a stop sign.
Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including fire departments from Burdett, Watkins Glen, Mecklenburg, and Montour Falls, along with Centralus EMS, LifeNet Helicopter Services, Schuyler County Emergency Management, and Fleetpride Heavy Wrecker Service.
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