Ithaca, N.Y. — State police have identified the drivers involved in a serious crash on Route 96 Tuesday afternoon and explained how it occurred.
Albert Moracco, of Trumansburg, was facing north at a stop sign on Krums Corner Road when he tried turning left onto Route 96/Trumansburg Road.
But a TCAT bus was coming from the other direction, heading in a southernly direction toward Ithaca. Though the TCAT bus apparently had the right of way, Moracco drove in front of it and was hit.
“At that point, the bus struck the vehicle turning out onto the road,” said Sgt. Larry Woodward in an interview Wednesday morning.
The bus then struck a third vehicle that Sgt. Woodward said was also northbound.
Moracco was conscious and alert after the accident. He was transported to Robert Packer Hospital.
The driver of the third vehicle was identified as a man named John Daley. Daley was flown to Robert Packer Hospital for serious ankle injuries, according to Sgt. Woodward.
The accident occurred around 3:23 p.m. on Tuesday. Seven bus passengers and the bus driver were also taken to Cayuga Medical Center for minor injuries.
A TCAT press release confirmed that an oncoming vehicle gave the bus driver “no way of avoiding a collision. In turn, that collision forced the bus to crash into an oncoming vehicle.”
Sgt. Woodward said he wasn’t sure if there would be any charges against Moracco, the driver of the oncoming car.
