A woman from Ithaca has been indicted and arrested in connection with a multi-vehicle crash that killed a 25-year-old Millport man in October 2023 on State Route 13 in the town of Veteran.
Authorities say 41-year-old Juria S. Vanness crossed the centerline while driving northbound in a 2016 Ford Fusion, triggering a deadly chain-reaction collision that claimed the life of Alexei G. Seymour.
The accident occurred around 7:29 a.m. on October 26, 2023. According to New York State Police, Vanness’s vehicle struck the trailer of Seymour’s 2019 Chevy Silverado, which was towing lawn mowing equipment. Both vehicles then entered the southbound lane, where they collided with a 2018 Freightliner. A lawnmower from Seymour’s trailer was thrown into the path of a 2021 Mack truck, which struck the equipment.
Seymour was pronounced dead at the scene. Vanness suffered minor injuries and was flown to Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania.
After a lengthy investigation, a Chemung County Grand Jury indicted Vanness on February 27, 2025. She faces multiple felony charges, including two counts of vehicular manslaughter in the first degree, aggravated unlicensed operation, and driving while ability impaired by drugs. She also faces a misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance.
A Superior Court Warrant for Vanness’s arrest was issued on March 14. She was processed by State Police in Horseheads on March 25 and transported to the Chemung County Jail.
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