Head-on collision at Panther Mountain trailhead claims life of Saranac Lake man

Friday saw a major two-car collision near the Panther Mt. Trailhead which claimed the life of a Saranac Lake man. The photo below shows members of the Tupper Lake Rescue Squad attending to the injuries of members of the Alonge family. (Jim Lanthier photos)

by Phyllis Larabie

State police responded to State Route 3 for a reported two-car motor vehicle accident on Friday, July 23 at approximately 12:04p.m. near Panther Mountain Trailhead.

It is reported that 37 year old Bernard J. McCormick II of Saranac Lake was traveling east in a 2015 Subaru Impreza. The McCormick vehicle collided head-on with a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado operated by Nicholas Alonge, 33, of New Windsor, N.Y. who was traveling west at the time.

Mr. McCormick died in the crash.

The Tupper Lake Rescue Squad responded with three ambulances to the accident scene. Due to the number of vehicles on the state highway the Saranac Lake Rescue Squad was dispatched for mutual aid to transport the patients to Adirondack Medical Center.

Mr. Alonge was transported to Saranac Lake AMC for a broken leg. A passenger in the Alonge vehicle, McKenna Alonge, 32, was air lifted by North Country Life Flight to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, VT for a head injury. A nine month old passenger, Emilia Alonge, was not injured. A dog also in the Alonge vehicle was not injured and was taken by Tupper Lake Dog Control Officer Wayne LaPierre until the family could pick up it up.

The Tupper Lake Fire Department was called for mutual aid from Saranac Lake Fire Department to close off State Routes 3 and 30 to traffic.

Motorists on the scene minutes after the accident occurred rendered assistance to the injured members of the Alonge family until help could arrive.

Amy Fraser was traveling with Charlie Exware when they came upon the accident just minutes after it happened. Ms. Fraser stated, “when they came upon the accident, there was smoke coming from the hoods of both vehicles.”

Mr. Exware ran up to the pick up truck and yelled to Amy that there was a baby in the vehicle. Amy said “she ran up to the truck as Charlie was trying to get the car seat out. She said “the seat was so firmly fastened in, Chuckie was having a hard time to get it unbuckled.”

She said she wanted to tell the parents, “kudos for making sure the car seat was fastened into the truck properly”.

They got the car seat unbuckled but wanted to keep the baby secured in the seat until help arrived to make sure the baby had no injuries.

Mr. Exware then removed the dog from the truck. In the mean time, someone had helped the passenger out of the truck, as another person who had arrived on scene had a fire extinguisher in his vehicle, the man sprayed it on the engine of the car and then the engine of the truck.

Mr. Exware with the help of Joe Williams, James Keniston, and Jay Delair then used a crowbar and jab saw to get the door off the truck to help the pinned driver in the Alonge vehicle.

Mr. Delair stated as he approached the McCormick car it was apparent the driver had passed.

It is reported that the Alonge family were all released Friday evening and were reunited with Fredo, the family dog on Saturday, July 24.

The accident is still under investigation by state police.