Emergency responders work to clear the wreckage from a two-car crash on Truxton Tully Road. (Photo Provided by Cortland County Sheriff's Office)
One person was airlifted for serious injuries and two others were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital following a crash Thursday afternoon in the town of Truxton.
It was shortly after 3 p.m. when officers from the Cortland County Sheriff's Office responded to a crash involving two SUVs on Truxton Tully Road with a report of possible injuries, according to Lt. Karl Altmann with the sheriff's office.
An investigation revealed that the driver of a 2005 Lexus, 25-year-old Caitlin Mcquilkenscholze, of Fairport, was traveling south on the roadway when she experienced a steering malfunction while going through a curve in the road, Lt. Altmann said.
The vehicle crossed over into the oncoming lane of traffic and struck a 2020 Mercedes Benz SUV traveling north, causing a head-on collision, authorities said.
Mcquilkenscholze was trapped inside the driver's seat and needed to be extricated from the vehicle, according to Truxton Deputy Fire Chief Ken Stone. She was then transported and flown to Upstate Medical Center by Mercy Flight for serious but non-life threatening injuries.
The driver of the Mercedes Benz, 82-year-old Walter Farnholtz, of Tully, along with a female passenger, were transported to Upstate Medical Center by Smith Ambulance for minor injuries to be evaluated, the sheriff's office said.
The crash is still under investigation. Truxton Fire and Rescue, Mercy Flight, Smith Ambulance, Stupke's Towing, and CNY Towing assisted at the scene.
The road was closed for about one and a half hours to allow emergency crews to investigate and clear the roadway. Tully Heavy Rescue provided extrication, the Apulia Fire Department assisted with traffic control, and the Preble Fire Department helped secure the landing zone for the helicopter. The Tully Fire Department, CNY Towing and Stupke Towing also assisted at the scene.
"It was a very hard impact, it was very severe," Stone said. "Both vehicles sustained heavy damage. They're both high end SUVs, and the Mercedes was really built good. That's probably what saved their lives."
