In the heart of Canandaigua, New York, a quiet Wednesday morning was shattered by a devastating collision that claimed a life and left a community grappling with grief. At the bustling intersection of State Route 5&20, Hickox Road, and Cooley Road, a catastrophic crash unfolded just before 11 a.m. on August 27, 2025, forever altering the lives of those involved and sending ripples of sorrow through the tight-knit town of Lima.
Jonathan Stills, a 40-year-old father of three from Lima, was behind the wheel of a box truck, heading west on State Route 5&20. Known for his warm heart and unwavering dedication to his community, Stills was a recently elected trustee on the Lima Village Board and a gifted singer whose presence lit up local gatherings. But on this fateful morning, tragedy struck. Investigators from the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Stills failed to stop at a red light, sending his truck barreling into the path of an SUV driven by 29-year-old Kassandra Yankanich of Canandaigua.
The collision was catastrophic. The force of the impact sent Stills’ truck careening off the road, where it slammed into a utility pole and flipped onto its roof, leaving the vehicle mangled and entangled in the wreckage. Despite the swift response from emergency crews—including the Cheshire Fire Department, Canandaigua Emergency Squad, New York State Police, and the Ontario County Coroner’s Office—Stills was pronounced dead at the scene, trapped within the twisted remains of his truck. The loss of this vibrant community leader, described by Lima’s Mayor John Skiptunas as someone who was “always giving back,” left the village numb with shock.
Miraculously, Kassandra Yankanich emerged from the crash unharmed, her SUV sustaining the brunt of the collision as it turned north from Hickox Road. A child passenger in her vehicle, however, was not as fortunate. Complaining of shoulder pain, the young passenger was rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for treatment. While the child’s injuries were not life-threatening, the incident served as a stark reminder of the fragility of life at a moment’s notice.
As investigators combed through the wreckage, they found no evidence to suggest that drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. The Ontario County Sheriff’s Office continues to probe the incident, awaiting autopsy results and toxicology testing to piece together the final moments leading up to the tragedy. In the meantime, the intersection—a critical artery in Canandaigua—remained closed for hours as authorities worked to clear the scene and unravel the cause of the collision.
The loss of Jonathan Stills has sent shockwaves through Lima, where he was more than just a name—he was a beacon of community spirit. Mayor Skiptunas spoke of Stills’ legacy, noting plans for a golf tournament to establish a college fund for his young daughter and support his grieving family. A GoFundMe campaign, alongside donations to the Lima Rotary Club, has been launched to help ease the financial burden on Stills’ loved ones, reflecting the village’s determination to rally around those he left behind.
For those who may have witnessed the crash, the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information to come forward. A simple call to 1-800-394-4560 could provide critical clues to understanding this heartbreaking event. As Canandaigua and Lima mourn, the memory of Jonathan Stills—a devoted father, leader, and friend—burns brightly, a reminder to hold loved ones close and cherish every moment on life’s unpredictable road.