Olive H. Wesley lost her life early Friday morning on the New York State Thruway. The 61-year-old Rochester woman was sitting inside a disabled 2012 Chevrolet pickup on the right shoulder of Interstate 90. A westbound tractor-trailer crashed into her vehicle around 2:30 a.m.
State Police pronounced her dead at the crash scene in the town of Newstead. Her passenger, 62-year-old Eric A. Trone, survived the initial impact. Rescue crews rushed him to Erie County Medical Center, where he remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Authorities identified the driver of the 2018 Volvo big rig as Amritpal Singh. The 30-year-old man from Belleville, Ontario, reported no injuries. Troopers evaluated him right there on the highway.
Standard field sobriety tests showed no signs of impairment. The police have not filed any criminal charges at this time. Investigators from the Collision Reconstruction Unit are still figuring out exactly what caused the tractor-trailer to drift onto the right shoulder.
The crash caused major delays for morning traffic. Troopers blocked the right lane to clear the wreckage and gather evidence. Traffic backed up for miles along the Thruway as drivers passed the flashing emergency lights.
Olive was much more than a name on a police report. She had a full life back in Rochester. People who knew her are now dealing with a sudden, heavy loss. Losing someone in the middle of the night leaves a permanent mark on a family.
The investigation remains completely open. Police still need to find out why the pickup truck broke down in the first place. Until those answers come out, a community is left grieving a woman whose life ended far too soon.
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