Bus rolls over on 17B

TOWN OF BETHEL, NY — On August 12, at about 7:20 a.m., Sullivan County 911 received a report of a bus accident on State Route 17B between Monguap Valley and Smallwood. Bethel constables and sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene and observed a full-size coach bus that had run off the road while traveling westbound.

The investigation at the scene revealed that the driver, Andrea Pressley, 48 of Willingboro, NJ, fell asleep. The bus, which was empty at the time of the accident, was traveling in a six-bus convoy from Secaucus, NJ to an undisclosed summer camp to pick up passengers.

The driver, who was trapped when the bus rolled over into the ditch, had to be extricated by firefighters. The driver was taken to Catskill Regional Medical Center where she was treated and released. State Route 17B was closed for approximately three hours.

The investigation into the accident is continuing. Responding to the scene were the Smallwood Monguaup Valley Fire Department, Kauneonga Lake Fire Department, Monticello Fire Department, Bethel Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Mobile Medic and state police.

Rabies confirmed in Monticello 

MONTICELLO, NY — Sullivan County Public Health Services is issuing an advisory to the public that a fox found in the Village of Monticello in a populated area on Waverly Avenue has tested positive for rabies. “There was no exposure to people that our office has been made aware of at this time,” said Nancy McGraw, public health director. “Please be aware of your surroundings, especially in wooded areas, and notify the New York State DEC of any suspicious acting wild or domestic animals.” The number for DEC is 845/256-3098.

Rabies is a deadly virus that infects the central nervous system of mammals, including humans. It is most common in bats, raccoons, foxes and skunks. Rabies is primarily transmitted by a bite. However, there is risk of infection if saliva or nerve tissue from a rabid animal gets into someone’s eyes, nose, or mouth or into an open wound.

Household pets can also get exposed to rabies by interacting with the carcass of an animal that had rabies.

Residents are cautioned not to approach any wild animal, particularly any animal, wild or domestic, that exhibits signs of being ill. This include aggressiveness, looking unusually tame or dazed, excessive drooling or foaming of the mouth, difficulty swallowing, dragging hind legs and mobility problems. 

Death of 4-year-old hit by ice cream truck investigated

SACKET LAKE, NY — The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal accident involving a four-year-old child who was struck by an ice cream truck on August 9.

At around 7:30 p.m., the sheriff’s patrol responded to Birchwood Estates, which is located in the Sackett Lake area in the Town of Thompson, just outside of Monticello. At the scene, paramedics from the Hatzolah volunteer ambulance service were treating the child, who was identified as Shmuel Gelis, of Toms River, NJ.

The victim was taken to Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris where he was pronounced dead. The sheriff was assisted by the Monticello Fire Department, Mobile Medic and the state police accident reconstruction team. The driver stayed at the scene. The investigation is continuing. No further information was available as of press time.

‘Resurface PA’ update

HARRISBURG, PA — PennDOT is moving ahead with accelerated repaving contracts after applying more than 109,000 tons of patching material and improving more than 1,000 miles of roads through July to deal with the widespread outbreak of potholes following the long, destructive winter season.

“PennDOT has accelerated its work to repair potholes and resurface roads after a difficult winter, but more work is required, and our paving contracts are aimed at shoring up pavements to better resist pothole formation,” said Gov. Tom Wolf on August 13. “With 40,000 miles of road to maintain, PennDOT faces a tough challenge fixing every pavement problem, but its crews have worked tirelessly to address the problems.”

Under the Resurface PA initiative, PennDOT has mounted an aggressive campaign to accelerate repaving interstates and attacking potholes across the state’s PennDOT-maintained roads, the nation’s fifth largest such system. The program calls for an additional $7 million being invested in seven interstate maintenance projects covering potholes and other repairs on 78 miles of roads this year.

The initiative includes work on Routes 6, 447, 590, and 739 and eight secondary roads in Pike County, and Routes 6, 170, 191, 196, 247, 296, 370, 371, 507, 652 and 43 secondary routes in Wayne County.