Owego, NY) – On March 28, the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office arrested 18-year old Dominic V. Fontana, of Endicott, NY, for the traffic violation of Moving From Lane Unsafely following the investigation of a car vs. pedestrian crash on State Route 38, in the Town of Newark Valley, on February 15, 2023.
Fontana is accused of leaving the southbound lane of travel in an unsafe manner and striking four pedestrians who were walking along the shoulder of the roadway. Three of the four pedestrians, 66-year old John Stephens, 25-year old Kurtis Acker and 52-year old Doreen Wood, all from Newark Valley, died as a result of the collision. Another pedestrian, a 27-year old female, also from Newark Valley, was flown from the scene by LifeNet Air to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY, and has since been released from the Hospital.
The investigation into this motor vehicle crash included a search warrant for the vehicle involved and the electronics within, as well as a subpoena for cell phone records. Video from several commercial vehicles’ on-board cameras, doorbell cameras along with business and residential security cameras were also reviewed.
The Sheriff’s Office Drug Recognition Expert was called to administer drug and alcohol sobriety testing on Fontana. Following the investigation there was nothing found that would support criminal charges related to the crash.
The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by New York State Police uniformed troopers, New York State Police CRU (Collision Reconstruction Unit) and UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) unit, Tioga County Emergency Services, Newark Valley Fire Department, Berkshire Fire District NY, Maine Emergency Squad, Inc., Owego Emergency Squad, LifeNet of New York, the Tioga County District Attorney’s Office, and the New York State Department of Transportation.
