TOWN OF TONAWANDA: I-290 crash victims identified

Local News

September 30, 2008

Staff Reports The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Tue Sep 30, 2008, 01:53 AM EDT

TOWN OF TONAWANDA — Police have identified the two people killed after a car heading the wrong way collided with another vehicle in the eastbound lane of I-290 early Sunday morning.

Justin L. Martin, 30, of Maryvale Drive, Cheektowaga, and Debra L. Richards, 38, of Youngstown, were killed when their cars met head-on. Autopsies were scheduled for Monday at Erie County Medical Center. Four others were injured in what eventually was a six-car pile up.

Police closed down a section of the highway eastbound from Elmwood Avenue to Niagara Falls Boulevard for several hours following the wreck.

According to friends, Richards was on her way to pick up her fiancé at work when her car was struck. The couple was planning to get married at the Ontario House, where Richards worked for 16 years, this weekend.

Martin graduated from Kenmore’s St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in 1996 and worked as a customer service supervisor at Geico insurance company. His friends have already started a tribute group on the Facebook Web site, describing him as “smart, funny, talented and kind.”

Foggy conditions were cited as a possible contributing factor to the crash, but the fact that Martin had a 2003 conviction of driving while ability impaired by alcohol has raised other questions about why the man possibly drove the wrong way all the way from Millersport Highway.

While alcohol use is always an avenue to be explored in a situation like this, Lt. Nick Bado said there is no evidence one way or another at this point.

“The toxicology reports probably won’t be available for a few weeks,” Bado said.

Text Only

Local News

Paying Respect
May 28, 2012 4 Photos
Sense of resignation escorts AES tax pact
May 24, 2012
Town considering WNYLC's request
May 23, 2012
Palace, Hartland get Greenway funding
The Historic Palace Theatre and the Town of Hartland both were cleared Tuesday to receive Niagara River Greenway funding for improvement projects.

The eight-member Host Communities Standing Committee voted unanimously to approve funding requests of $151,000 for the Palace and $244,000 for Hartland, which is planning a multi-phase town park enhancement project.

May 22, 2012
Erie Canal photo contest underway
The seventh annual Erie Canalway photo contest is under way.

Entries are being accepted now through Sept. 7. Winning photos will be published in the 2013 Erie Canalway calendar.

May 22, 2012
Jobless totals drop slightly
Unemployment in the Lockport area decreased slightly last month, but it wasn't because more people are going back to work.

The New York State Department of Labor reported Tuesday about 1,000 city residents were without a job in April, the fifth straight month with over 1,000 unemployed. That was down from the 1,100 it reported in March, however, the number of employed stayed the same at about 9,700 people.

May 22, 2012 4 Stories
Fishing for 'Ultimate' perks
Olcott teaming up with Ontario town in running for Canadian equivalent.

May 22, 2012 2 Photos
Sprinkler work coming
Piping in high school fire sprinkler system will be addressed in July.

May 22, 2012
Willow Street victim identified
The victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Willow Street on Saturday was identified by Lockport Police as Richard Boye, 46.

May 22, 2012
Cutting the travel time
For the most part, there is a lot of planning that goes into traveling. Some like to handle the details on their own, making arrangements on the phone or using travel websites to book hotels, planes, vehicles and so on.

But lately, working with a travel agent is becoming more popular.

May 21, 2012 1 Photo
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

TOWN OF TONAWANDA: I-290 crash victims identified

Site Map

Contact Us