The driver of a vehicle carrying six passengers has been ticketed for failing to yield after a fatal August crash at State Route 488 and Freshour Road in Hopewell, the Ontario County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.
George Payne, 75, of Phelps was issued the traffic ticket following the sheriff's investigation. The agency said the investigation is now closed and no further updates are expected.
The Aug. 19 collision killed one passenger and sent six people to hospitals. Deputies said Payne was driving a 2025 Ford Omnibus north on Freshour Road when it collided with a 1995 International Harvester dump truck traveling east on Route 488.
Zachary Perrin, 31, of Canandaigua was driving the dump truck. He was medically cleared at the scene.
The Omnibus was carrying six adult passengers. One was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff's office.
Three passengers were flown by LifeNet and Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital. A fourth was taken to Strong by Mercy Ambulance, while a fifth was taken by Shortsville Ambulance to Clifton Springs Hospital.
Payne was taken by Mercy Ambulance to F.F. Thompson Hospital with minor injuries and later released.
The sheriff's office previously said five of the six passengers were residents of local intermediate care facilities. The sixth passenger was an employee of a facility.
In a prior update, the sheriff's office said a 27-year-old woman remained in the emergency department for evaluation, a 41-year-old man was in surgery with significant orthopedic injuries, a 32-year-old woman was admitted in satisfactory condition and a 31-year-old woman had been released.
The employee, a 44-year-old man, was taken to Clifton Springs Hospital with apparent minor injuries. His admission status was not known at the time of the earlier update.
The intersection was closed for about five hours while the sheriff's Accident Reconstruction Team, Commercial Vehicle Inspection Team and Criminal Investigation Division worked at the scene. The New York State Police Commercial Vehicle Inspection Team also assisted.
Other responding agencies included Mercy Ambulance, Canandaigua Ambulance, Shortsville Ambulance, the Hopewell, Veterans Affairs Hospital and Manchester fire departments, the Ontario County EMS and fire coordinators office, Mercy Flight and LifeNet.
The sheriff's office previously said the completed case would be reviewed with the Ontario County District Attorney's Office to determine whether charges would be filed. Thursday's update identified only the failure-to-yield ticket and said the investigation was closed.
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