A crash involving a pickup truck and an SUV Sunday morning on Route 20A in the Town of Sheldon claimed the lives of three members of a family from New Jersey, the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office reported. Seven other people were injured.
Sheriff Gregory Rudolph said the fatalities included two women who were ejected from the SUV in which the family of nine was riding. They were pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Jennifer Prutsman-Pfeiffer.
A 4-year-old child who suffered head injuries died an hour later in Wyoming County Community Hospital in Warsaw, Rudolph said. Their identities are withheld pending notification of other family members.
Four other children in the SUV, a 14-year-old, a 10-year-old and two other 4-year-olds, were taken to Oshei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo. Another woman in the SUV was transported to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo. A man in the vehicle was treated at Wyoming County Community Hospital and released. Sheriff Rudolph said the nature of their injuries is being withheld.
Treated in ECMC and released was the driver of the pickup truck, Richard Sawicki, 20, of Lackawanna.
Investigators said Sawicki was southbound on Maxon Road about 6:30 a.m., ran through a stop sign at Route 20A and struck the westbound SUV.
Sawicki was arrested on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving.
He was arraigned in Warsaw Town Court and remanded to Wyoming County Jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond pending a court appearance June 10. His driver’s license also was suspended. Further charges are expected, Rudolph said.
