9 packed in 7-person car in crash that killed 4-year-old, 2 adults
Authorities in Wyoming County, New York are still sorting through the details of a crash that killed a New Jersey child and two adults, in a collision with an SUV police say was being driven by a drunken driver.
The entire family is believed to be from the Perth Amboy area, the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office office said. It's still trying to determine who was in what position in their seven-passenger Kia Sedona — carrying nine people — and how the various people in the car are related. The Sedona had one adult male, three adult females and five children, the sheriff's office said. Three of the children were aged 4, one was aged 10 and one was 14.
"What is clear is not everyone was wearing a seat belt and no child seats or booster seats were in the vehicle," the sheriff's office said.
The family of nine had been driving west on Route 20A in Sheldon, New York, when a pickup truck driven by 20-year-old Richard Sawicki, of Lackawanna, New York, went through the intersection and blew past a stop sign before hitting the SUV "T-Bone" style, authorities have previously said.
Two adult women were ejected and pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff's office said. They have been identified as Ondina Castro De La Cruz, 47, and Mayelin Brito-Castro, 32. One of the 4-year-old children was taken by Bennington Ambulance to the Wyoming County Community Hospital for head injuries and died about an hour later, the sheriff's office said.
Also according to the sheriff's office: Reyes Rodriguez, 55, was taken by the hospital and later released. Maria Brito-Castro, 26, was taken by Monroe Ambulance to a medical center and may be released Monday. The 14-year-old, the 10-year-old and the two other 4-year-olds are continuing to receive care at a children's hospital.
Sawicki was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving.
Sawicki was remanded to the Wyoming County Jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond. He is due back in court on June 10 and will likely face additional charges, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The Memorial weekend wreck happened about an hour away from Niagara Falls, which PIX 11 reported was the family's destination.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ