A 31-year-old woman was killed last Friday morning when the car she was riding in was struck by a southbound vehicle that crossed into oncoming traffic on Brewer Road in Waterloo, then left the roadway and caught fire. Kelly L. Alonzo was pronounced dead at the scene, according to New York State Police, while the two drivers involved both survived with minor injuries.
The crash happened around 6:30 a.m. on October 9, when a vehicle driven by 23-year-old Denzel R. Silver of the Bronx entered the northbound lane and struck a car driven by 28-year-old Zachary S. Scharf of Cortlandt Manor, according to Fingerlakes1.com. Scharf's vehicle left the road and caught fire after the impact, and Alonzo, who was riding as a passenger, did not survive. Scharf and Silver were both taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for treatment.
Strong Memorial is the only designated Level 1 Adult Trauma Center in the Finger Lakes region, an 886-bed facility equipped to handle the most severe traumatic injuries, according to UR Medicine. The hospital also houses the 23-room Kessler Burn & Trauma Center ICU, which provides specialized critical care.
Investigators Still Probing Why Silver Crossed the Center Line
As of October 15, state police said they were continuing to investigate why Silver's vehicle drifted into the northbound lane, per the same report from Fingerlakes1.com. Both the New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit and the Forensic Identification Unit responded to examine the crash scene. The Collision Reconstruction Unit focuses on reconstructing collisions, according to the New York State Police.
New York State Police continue to investigate the crash. Whether Silver will face citations or more serious charges remains an open question as investigators determine what caused the lane departure.
What Could Elevate the Case to Criminal Charges
Under New York Penal Law Section 125.10, a death caused by criminal negligence — defined as a gross deviation from reasonable care in failing to perceive a substantial, obvious risk — can be charged as criminally negligent homicide, a Class E felony carrying up to four years in prison, according to Robert Tsigler Law. Whether conduct meets that standard depends on whether it grossly deviated from reasonable care in failing to perceive a substantial, obvious risk.
Separately, vehicular manslaughter in the second degree under Penal Law Section 125.12 is a Class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison, but it specifically requires proof that the driver was impaired by alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash, according to Fast Law. The offenses have distinct statutory elements: criminally negligent homicide requires criminal negligence, while second-degree vehicular manslaughter requires impairment by alcohol or drugs.
Crash Occurred Near State Route 96 and Brewer Road
The crash occurred near the intersection of State Route 96 and Brewer Road. A two-car crash after a driver failed to yield injured four SUV occupants, according to the Seneca County Sheriff's Office.
Remembering Kelly Alonzo
Alonzo was born on August 13, 1995, and lived in the Clyde/North Rose area of Wayne County. According to an obituary published by the Finger Lakes Times, she is survived by her parents, Jason and Alice Akins, two sisters, and a brother. The obituary identifies Scharf, the driver of the car she was riding in, as her significant other.
Calling hours for Alonzo were held Friday, October 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Pusateri Funeral Home on Sodus Street in Clyde, and her family has scheduled a celebration of her life for Saturday, October 17, at 2 p.m. at her parents' home. Her family has asked that memorial contributions be made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness in her memory.
