New York State Police found a woman dead inside a residence on South Woods Road in the town of Moira, Franklin County, at approximately 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, launching an investigation that would stretch roughly 200 miles west by the end of the day. Hours later, a pursuit in the Wayne County town of Lyons ended with a pickup truck off the road and its driver also dead. Authorities say the two deaths appear to be connected, though the circumstances surrounding both remain under investigation.
A Grim Discovery in Franklin County
Troopers responded to the home on South Woods Road and located a deceased woman at the residence, according to syracuse.com, which reported troopers found her there just before 9 a.m. Tuesday. State police investigators began working to determine the circumstances surrounding her death. No information about her identity has been released.
Around 10:30 a.m., roughly 200 miles away, state police members assigned to Troop E located a red 2009 Chevrolet Silverado in the town of Lyons in Wayne County that matched the description of a vehicle potentially connected to the woman's death. The two deaths occurred about 200 miles apart in Upstate New York, the outlet's report noted.
Traffic Stop Turns Into a Pursuit
Troopers attempted to stop the pickup with assistance from the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, but the driver failed to comply, and a pursuit ensued. The same report from syracuse.com states that law enforcement began pursuit after the driver did not comply when troopers and sheriff's deputies tried to pull the truck over.
During the chase, Wayne County Sheriff's deputies deployed tire-deflation devices, and the pickup left the roadway on State Route 14 in Lyons. Troopers and deputies then issued commands for the driver to exit the vehicle, but he did not comply. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office deployed an armored vehicle to approach the Silverado, and deputies found the driver dead inside the truck once they reached it, per the same account.
Highway Closure and Ongoing Investigation
The pursuit and its aftermath forced a lengthy closure of State Route 14. A police investigation shut down a portion of the highway north of the Lyons business district for several hours Tuesday, according to 13WHAM, before the road reopened. Troopers said there was no threat to the public during the response, WHEC reported.
Troopers were processing the scene in Moira and executing search warrants as the investigation continued, with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office assisting New York State Police throughout. WHEC's report also noted that the circumstances surrounding both deaths remain under investigation. WCAX similarly described the two death investigations as appearing to be connected, though authorities have not detailed how the cases are linked. No arrests, charges, or identities have been released in either case as the investigation moves forward.
