TOWN OF ELLERY, N.Y. (WKBW) — A woman is in serious condition following a crash in Chautauqua County Friday afternoon.
The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office says a vehicle operated by 42-year-old Walter Whitfield of Celoron, N.Y. left the roadway and struck a tree on Route 430 near Lin Avenue in the Town of Ellery just before 2 p.m. Friday.
Whitfield was pulled from the vehicle through the window by first responders, the 33-year-old passenger Barbara Houser was trapped in the vehicle and had to be freed by fire officials.
The sheriff's office says Whitfield was transported to UPMC where he is listed as stable, Houser was flown to Hamot Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania in serious condition.
Route 430 was reduced to one lane of traffic for several hours.
Whitfield faces the following charges:
- Failure to keep right
- Aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree from having 10 previous suspensions
- Driving while ability impaired by drugs
- Criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree
Houser also faces a criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree charge.
The sheriff's office says additional charges are pending further investigation of the crash.
