Accident with serious injuries reported in East Utica

Several people were transported to St. Elizabeth Medical Center after a two-vehicle accident with serious injuries was reported Sunday evening in East Utica.

The rollover accident took place shortly before 7:15 p.m. at South Street and Webster Avenue. Emergency officials at the scene reported one person was unresponsive.

Hydraulic equipment was used to remove at least two people from a blue four-door sedan that which came to rest right-side up near a tree and bent down a stop sign.

The second vehicle — a white van — flipped onto its side, and hydraulic equipment also was used on it. Ladders from the van were scattered in the road, and one of the back doors was open.

Pieces of the sedan littered the street, with what looked like its airbags flopped onto the top of the car.

All occupants were removed from the vehicles by 7:25 p.m.

An accident reconstruction unit was at the scene, and the Uniform Patrol Divison and Criminal Investigation Division were investigating. Police officers took photos of the vehicles as local residents stood outside yellow police tape watching. Several witnesses were taken to the police station to be interviewed. Others who looked on said they saw the van speeding southeast on Webster Street.

Jefferson Avenue resident Caesar Tomaselli said he was standing on his porch when he saw the van go by, but did not see the collision. He heard it, though.

“When it hit, I thought a bomb went off,” Tomaselli said.

Police Sgt. Steven Hauck said additional details weren’t immediately available.

“At this point, there’s not much to go on,” he said at about 8:30 p.m.