2 Killed In Upstate UTV Crashes

Two people were killed in separate UTV crashes upstate Saturday, New York State Police said.

The first crash occurred just before 5 p.m. in Peru.

Police said a 2019 Mahindra Retriever UTV being driven 13-year-old Emily R. Coons, 13, of Peru, was traveling south on a dirt trail in the backyard of 659 Fuller Road.

The UTV entered a field adjacent to the yard and Coons attempted to make a lefthand turn to travel east, police said. Coons was unable to negotiate the curve, and the UTV overturned, coming to rest on its passenger side.

A passenger, 17-year-old Emily E. Hayden, of Brunswick, was partially ejected and pinned under the UTV. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Coons and another passenger, Madison M. Laporte, 12, of Peru were both transported to the University of Vermont Health Network at the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) in Plattsburgh for evaluations.

The second crash occurred at 11:55 p.m. at the Adirondack Speedway parking lot at 8403 Artz Road in the town of New Bremen in Lewis County.

Danielluis T. Diaz, of Blossvale, was riding his 2017 CAN AM Maverick X3 UTV on a gravel parking lot when he lost control after striking a rut and overturned. Diaz was partially ejected. He was taken to Lewis County General Hospital with severe head injuries and was pronounced dead.

No one involved in either crash was a wearing a helmet or seat belt, police said.