Death of Watertown man ruled a suicide by police

The death of a Watertown area man last week has been ruled a suicide.

Stephen T. Smith, 40, Northland Estates, was found dead shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday in an area frequented by hunters off Dobbins Road in the town of Rodman, police said.

State police by policy do not routinely divulge details about suicides, so no other information was provided about Mr. Smith's death.

Earlier that day Mr. Smith was involved in a vehicle accident on Route 177 in the town of Rodman. Senior Investigator MichaeI C. Pastuf said Monday no information has been developed to suggest that Mr. Smith's driving actions that morning were anything other than accidental.

Mr. Smith was determined to be the driver at fault in the accident at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, when his northbound vehicle passed a stop sign on County Route 95. His auto entered Route 177, forcing Bruce J. Roggie, 50, New Bremen, driving a Lewis County solid-waste truck, to take evasive action, police said. The truck clipped a corner of the Smith vehicle, and both overturned.

Mr. Roggie was treated at Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, for a broken nose and head cuts. Police said Mr. Smith declined transport for treatment of minor bleeding on his head.