FENNER, N.Y. — A quiet morning in Madison County was shattered by a fatal crash that claimed the life of an Oneida woman and has left a community in mourning.
New York State Police are actively investigating the serious two-vehicle collision that occurred just after 11 a.m. on Thursday morning at the intersection of East Mile Strip Road and Oxbow Road in the Town of Fenner. The victim has been identified as 82-year-old Barbara R. Thurston of Oneida.
According to authorities, Thurston was operating a 2013 Chevrolet Impala and was attempting to make a turn onto East Mile Strip Road when her vehicle was struck by a 2022 Ford F-250 pickup truck traveling eastbound. The impact of the collision was severe.
Emergency crews from the Smithfield Fire Department and CAVAC Ambulance rushed to the scene. Despite their efforts, Thurston suffered catastrophic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Ford pickup, a 48-year-old man from Chittenango, was transported to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse for evaluation of non-life-threatening injuries.
The intersection was closed for several hours as troopers documented the scene and reconstructed the events leading to the crash. The investigation into the precise cause remains ongoing, with police working to determine all contributing factors.
The sudden loss of Barbara Thurston has sent ripples of grief through the community, a stark reminder of the fragility of life on the rural roads of Central New York.