Who died in the Newark Valley car accident? Ages explored as police investigate death of pedestrians

Three people lost their lives and one was left in critical condition after a car-pedestrian crash in Tioga County’s Newark Valley in New York late Wednesday morning.

As stated by the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office, the accident took place on state Route 38 between Wilson Creek Road and Brown Road shortly before 11.30 am.

An initial investigation determined that an 18-year-old was driving a black 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV south on Route 38 when four pedestrians, walking on the roadway’s west shoulder, were struck by the car.

State troopers and first responders from multiple agencies reached the scene along with Sheriff’s deputies to attend to the victims and shut down the roadway.

The three people who died in the crash have been identified by the Sheriff’s office as 25-year-old Kurtis Acker, 52-year-old Doreen Wood, and 66-year-old John Stephens. All three are from Newark Valley.

Another resident of Newark Valley, a 27-year-old woman, was severely injured in the crash. LifeNet Air took her to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. As per reports, she is currently in critical condition and her name has not been disclosed at this time.

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The car driver at the Newark Valley accident cooperated with the investigation

The 18-year-old driver, who was the only person present in the SUV at the time of the crash, was not injured. He lingered at the scene and cooperated with the Sheriff’s deputies in the investigation. His name also remains undisclosed for now.

Two men and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene (Image via Twitter/@BinghamtonNow)

According to Capt. Shawn Nalepa from the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation into the pedestrian crash in Newark Valley is still ongoing and so far, no charges have been filed.

Investigators have asked anyone who witnessed the accident or has seen the SUV traveling around Route 38 prior to the accident to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at the Sheriff’s office at 607-687-1010.

The New York Police Collision Reconstruction Unit, as well as the New York State Department of Transportation, Unmanned Aerial Systems Unit, Berkshire and Newark Valley fire departments, Tioga County Emergency Management Office, Tioga County District Attorney’s Office, and Owego, Maine EMS, have also assisted the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office at the scene of the crash on February 15.

The scene of the accident (Image via Tioga County Sheriff's Office)

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Rates of pedestrian deaths have been on the rise in the U.S. A recent study conducted by Smart Growth America, an urban development-focused nonprofit organization, found that the rate of pedestrian deaths in the U.S. had spiked by 60 percent in the last decade.

In 2020, more than 6500 pedestrians were struck and further killed by vehicles, equating to nearly 18 deaths per day.

Although there were fewer cars and other vehicles on the road in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of pedestrian deaths was probably even higher in 2021 as stated by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

As per GHSA’s preliminary data, roughly 7500 pedestrians were killed in 2022, the highest number of pedestrian deaths in the United States in 40 years.

The study also included new data identifying fatality-prone states and metro areas for pedestrians. Among the twenty deadliest states for pedestrians, a large number belongs in the southern half of the U.S. The top five deadliest states include Delaware, Arizona, South Carolina, Florida, and New Mexico.