Morning News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on July 3, 2023
Officers responded to the intersection of West Ridge Road and Dewey Avenue in Rochester for the report of a multiple car motor vehicle crash with people trapped on Sunday. When they arrived they found a stolen truck that had rolled over with three people inside. The driver of that vehicle, a 45 year old male city resident, was trapped. With the help of Firefighters police were able to extricate the man and take him to the hospital where he remains in serious condition. Two other people were in that stolen truck. One of them, a 37 year old woman, was transported to the hospital for the complaint of pain. A 29 year old man was also inside, but refused medical treatment. Neither of the passengers were charged. Officers say the investigation revealed that the stolen truck ran a red light and was hit by an oncoming vehicle that had a green light. The collision caused the stolen truck to spin off hitting three more cars that were stopped at the red light. No word on if the people in the vehicle that hit the stolen truck were injured. Out of the three stopped vehicles that were struck one man was transported to the hospital for the complaint of pain.
The Batavia Ramble and Arts fest was almost rained out on Saturday when downpours rolled in and doused the festival for part of the afternoon. Bands took a pause for an hour for the thunderstorms and acts were delayed. People who stuck around were able to enjoy bands like Shotgun Pauly and Zackstreet Boys, various vendors and booths. Face painting, food and fun joined in with the music once the sun came back out. The festival continued for the rest of the day.
Some big crowds lined up outside of a Buffalo gas station Saturday, and for good reason. The Free Spirit Missionary Baptist Church gave away 25 dollars worth of gasoline, and a bag of free produce to the first 250 cars and trucks to show up. Lines stretched around the block. This event was made possible through a partnership with the Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation. People who received the produce also received a phone number for the church to send in what dish they made with their fruits and veggies.
The pain at the pump is easing up for Batavia drivers thanks to a drop in gas prices. According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular fuel is now 3.61. That’s down 4 cents in the past week and is three cents cheaper than it was at this time last month. Currently, the state average is 3.68 a gallon and nationally it’s 3.53. A year ago it was 4.82.
A lot of people are going to be using their grills in the next couple of days, and the National Fire Protection Association has issued some tips to prevent fires and injuries. It’s recommended people make sure their grills are clean and free of grease before starting them. Also, keep grills away from flammable things such as deck railings and branches and never leave a grill unattended while it’s in use. July is the peak month for grill fires and data shows roughly half of all injuries involve burns.
The Batavia Muckdogs won their matchup against the Queen City on Saturday night with a score of 7 to 6. They are back in action at home tonight against Erie Buffalo. There will be a large fireworks display made bigger by a grant from the City of Batavia. There will be special Independence Day celebrations. Our news partner The Batavian will have a booth with a drawing to win an electric guitar and amp.
