A pedestrian was seriously injured Saturday morning after being struck by a car at the intersection of Route 28 and Rogers Road in Woodgate, prompting a Mercy Flight helicopter to airlift the victim to a Syracuse hospital. The crash happened at about 11:21 a.m., setting off a scramble of first responders who briefly shut down a stretch of the busy highway.
The injured person was flown to Upstate University Hospital with serious injuries, according to the Rome Sentinel. As reported by wktv.com, the crash happened at about 11:21 a.m. at the intersection of Route 28 and Rogers Road. Details about the victim, including their name and condition beyond the description of serious injuries, were not immediately available.
Highway Shut Down as Crews Managed Traffic
The Woodgate Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene and directed traffic until the New York State Department of Transportation reopened the roadway, per the same account. The highway was closed for a short time while crews worked the scene, a brief but necessary disruption on a stretch of Route 28 that serves as a key route through the region.
Members of the Otter Lake Volunteer Fire Department, the Oneida County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police all helped at the scene, the station's report notes. Volunteers from several different organizations reportedly stopped to assist after witnessing the crash unfold. New York State Police are now investigating the incident, though no additional details about the driver or the circumstances leading up to the crash have been released.
Earlier Route 28 Crashes
Two earlier crashes have also occurred along Route 28. In one separate crash, 67-year-old Kirsten Down of Forestport was killed after being struck by another vehicle while attempting to turn onto Route 28 from Woodgate Road, according to wibx950.com. Down was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver of the other vehicle along with two child passengers, ages 5 and 10, were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, the outlet reported. Route 28 and surrounding roads were closed for several hours during that investigation.
In a different Route 28 accident reported by wibx950.com, the highway was shut down in both directions between Woodgate Road and Moose River Road, with accident reconstruction teams still working the scene after 5 p.m. That stretch was later reopened, according to state transportation officials. It remains unclear whether either of those earlier incidents is connected in any way to Saturday's crash at Rogers Road.
For now, New York State Police's investigation into the Route 28 and Rogers Road crash continues, and no further information about the pedestrian's condition or the driver involved has been released.
