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SALAMANCA, N.Y. - A tragedy on the southern tier, after a woman dies in a horrific crash.
It happened along Route 219 in Salamanca, and authorities believe sun glare played a role in the deadly crash.
The still of the morning in Salamanca was shattered by the crashing and grinding of a 10-wheel dump truck, as it slammed into a minivan at the intersection of East State Street and Route 219.
Police said the truck was traveling south on Route 219, and had the right-of-way.
The woman driving the Dodge Caravan had a stop sign.
Chief Troy Westfall of the Salamanca Police Department explained, "And the minivan went through the intersection. We don't believe they stopped at the stop sign. And then the dump truck hit the minivan and went into a house across the street."
It was a gruesome scene, with the minivan flattened by the 10-wheeler, and the driver pinned inside.
Investigators suspect the driver of the van might have been blinded by the early morning sun against her windshield, and never even saw the stop sign.
"The dump truck t-boned her, and hit her in the driver's side, and basically pushed her into a house. The dump truck overturned, rolling over on top of her," stated Captain Robert Buchardt of the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities re-routed traffic away from 219 for several hours during the rescue, and subsequent accident investigation.
After the dump truck was pried loose, there was not much left of the minivan.
Amanda Mazzone who lives nearby was among those who tried to help the minivan driver, but she didn't make it.
"We tried. There was another gentleman that came, and he actually ripped the door off the van. He tried to get in there a little bit further. The people that were there, we tried," Amanda exclaimed.
News 4 learned the minivan driver was from the Village of Cattaraugus. She was apparently on her way to be with her husband, who is seriously ill at a Southern Tier hospital, and missed the stop sign.
The truck driver was only slightly injured.
Authorities are withholding the names of the two drivers until their families can be notified.
News 4 also learned they have surveillance video of the accident as it happened, and police said the driver of the minivan didn't even slow down.
