Just after 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, New York State Police at Ithaca responded to an accident involving a manure spreader and two other vehicles on State Route 222 near Salt Road in the Town of Groton. One driver was transported by helicopter to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.
An investigation revealed that Jill R. Ashley Williams, age 41 of Groton, NY, was traveling east on State Route 222 when she rear-ended a manure spreader pulled by a John Deere tractor belonging to the Fuller Family Dairy Groton Farm. The tractor was operated by Walter Vasquez-Ramirez, age 23 of Groton, NY.
A few minutes, later a vehicle operated by Albert W. Perreault, age 71 of Groton, NY, was also traveling east on State Route 222 and failed to observe the two vehicles involved in the accident and stopped partially in the roadway. Perreault struck both the vehicle driven by Ashley Williams and the John Deere tractor which was now unoccupied at the time of the second crash.
Ashley Williams was extricated from her vehicle by members of McLean Fire Department then transported by LifeNet to Upstate Medical Center. Groton fire and ambulance also assisted. No other injuries were reported. State Route 222 was closed for over two hours for clean-up. The cause of the accidents appears to be unsafe speed and bright glare from the sun. No tickets have been issued at this time.
