New York State Police from the Owego barracks responded throughout the night Wednesday and Thursday to calls related to the overnight nor’easter snowstorm. While on patrol, Zone Sgt. Jason Cawley contacted Tioga County 911 to ask if any emergency calls were pending due to the storm.
Sgt. Cawley was told 911 had received a number of calls from a man who had run off the road and needed assistance, but law enforcement in the area could not locate the driver or vehicle.
Cawley drove to the section of State Route 17C in the Camptown area of Town of Owego where the man reportedly was trapped and patrolled the area, but also did not find the driver.
While driving, Cawley saw what appeared to be a row of mailboxes and waded through the snow to check the addresses. While digging, he hit the windshield of a car. Inside the car was the driver who had been making the 911 calls, identified as Kevin Kresen, 58, of Candor.
After speaking with the driver, he had been plowed in by a truck and the car covered with close to four feet of snow. Stranded for more than 10 hours, with no heat due to a broken serpentine belt, the man was suffering from hypothermia and frostbite. He was removed from the vehicle and taken to Lourdes Hospital for treatment.
