Head-on crash leaves two dead

SPRAGUEVILLE — An 8-year-old girl and her stepgreat-grandmother were killed Saturday afternoon in a head-on collision on Route 11 outside of Gouverneur.

Angela Scott, 8, of Gouverneur, and Shirley A. Hays, 69, also of Gouverneur, were traveling south on Route 11 in a 1998 Plymouth van when they collided head-on with a northbound 2008 Dodge pickup. The truck was operated by Shawn M. Trimm, 32, also of Gouverneur.

The accident occurred around 3:20 p.m. and forced the closure of Route 11 well into the evening. A detour put into place rerouted drivers for nearly four miles while accident-reconstruction crews headed to the scene and police continued their investigation.

The force of the crash was so strong that both vehicles were lying in the southbound lane facing north — the fronts of both damaged beyond recognition.

The impact created a loud noise, according to Bonnie Parker, who lives with her husband, James R., and their 18-year-old granddaughter, Tiffany L. Wing, in a house directly in front of the accident scene.

Mrs. Parker, who was about to leave to visit her brother, believes she would have been driving dangerously close to the crash, but Mr. Parker had asked her to make Kool-Aid for him, so she stayed.

As she was stirring the drink, she heard what she said sounded like a helicopter crashing.

"When we heard the bang, we all headed to the door," she said.

They saw smoke puffing from the van's engine. Mr. Parker grabbed a garden hose and extinguished the flames, while Ms. Young hurried to help the children who were passengers in the truck. She couldn't get the doors opened.

Mr. Parker grabbed a crowbar from his residence, but by the time he was back at the scene, Gouveneur police officer Steve M. Young was tending to the truck's passenger, Melanie Trimm.

Ms. Wing tended to their children — Hannah, 2, and Hailey, 1 — and told them everything would be OK.

"The kids said they wanted their daddy," she said.

When she took the children to their father, Hailey rushed toward him, Ms. Wing said, holding him for about five minutes.

Ms. Hays was pronounced dead at the scene by Russell B. Lawrence III, St. Lawrence County coroner, and Angela was transported to E.J. Noble Hospital, Gouverneur, where she was pronounced dead by Dr. Nina Maravegias.

The pickup was occupied by Mr. Trimm; his wife, Melanie, 25; and their two children. Mrs. Trimm was airlifted to Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, for treatment and their two daughters were taken to E.J. Noble Hospital, where they are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said all of the passengers in both cars were wearing their seat belts and the children were properly restrained in child-safety seats.

The investigation is continuing.

Ms. Wing, a senior at Heuvelton Central High School with aspirations to become a nurse, said she has trouble watching tragic events even in movies, but Saturday was much different.

"When I saw that, I didn't cry," she said. "I just stood up to go and help."