KILL BUCK, N.Y. — A male pedestrian was injured when he was struck walking on Route 417 early Friday morning in what was the second serious accident to occur on the highway in less than 48 hours.
The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office said the pedestrian was walking in the eastbound lane of Route 417 in Kill Buck, N.Y., when he was hit by a pickup truck at approximately 3:29 a.m. The pedestrian, who is not being identified by deputies, was flown to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, N.Y., via Mercy Flight.
Capt. Shawn Gregory of the sheriff’s office said Friday afternoon the pedestrian was in critical condition, but declined to identify pedestrian or the driver, who was uninjured.
“It’s still under investigation,” he said. “(Names) probably won’t be (released) until next week when they complete the investigation.”
No charges have been filed in the vehicle-pedestrian accident at this time.
The accident comes just a day and a half after a 48-year-old Kill Buck man, Fred Kemp, was killed in a head-on collision with an allegedly drunk driver on Route 417.
“It’s extremely unfortunate. I believe both accidents were very avoidable, but the bottom line is these things happen and they seem to run in streaks,” Gregory said. “Statistics show there’s spikes at certain times of the year, these type of accidents and crashes. This is just the time our office has seen an increase in it.”
