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West Leyden Residents Victims of Double-Fatal Crash
in Oneida County
Published: August 29, 2026
at 07:00 a.m.
By: Press Release
from Oneida County Sheriff’s Office
According to
Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol, on August 27, 2026, at around 07:00
AM, Road Patrol Deputies were dispatched to State Route 294 near Gleasman
Road in the Town of Ava for a reported serious motor vehicle accident.
Due to the nature
of the incident members of the Oneida County Sheriff’s Criminal
Investigative Unit and Forensic Identification Unit responded to the scene.
A preliminary
investigation showed that one of the vehicles, a Volkswagen SUV, was
traveling in an easterly direction of State Route 294 when they moved from
their lane and entered the opposite lane of travel. At this time, a single
cab Mack tractor trailer, which was hauling a load
of material, was traveling in a westerly direction and was struck by the
Volkswagen SUV that was traveling easterly.
The two
individuals who were the occupants of the Volkswagen were pronounced
deceased at the scene. The operator of the tractor trailer was airlifted to
Syracuse SUNY Upstate Medical Center for further treatment by Mercy Flight
for what appears to be non-life-threatening injuries. The accident is still
under investigation and the names of the parties involved will not be
released at this time.
UPDATE:
According to
Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol, members of the Criminal Investigative
Unit determined the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan, being operated by Darrel Gray
Jr, age 52, from West Lyden New York, was traveling eastbound on State
Route 294 near Gleasman Road in the Town of Ava.
While traveling
east, Gray moved from his lane and entered the opposite lane of travel
subsequently striking the front end of a 2019 Mack Truck, which was
traveling west, that was being operated by Erik Rowland, age 46, from
Woodgate New York.
As a result of
the collision, Gray’s vehicle had come to rest along the southern shoulder
of the roadway whereas the Mack Truck had struck a guardrail and had come
to rest along the northern shoulder of the roadway. Darrel Gray and his
passenger 17-year-old Eleanor (Nora) Gray were located and pronounced
deceased at the scene. Rowland was airlifted to Upstate Medical Center for
what appears to be non-life-threatening injuries.
At this time, the
investigation is still ongoing, and additional information may be released at a later time.
Both Darrel and
Eleanor (Nora) were part of the Adirondack Central School District. The
district will have counselors available for students and staff.
Additionally, the
Oneida County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the members of the
Oneida County 911 Center for their assistance with coordinating with Mercy
Flight who assisted with transporting Rowland to the hospital.
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