PORTVILLE, N.Y. — A 20-year-old Little Genesee man faces felony charges of vehicular homicide and assault and driving while intoxicated in the wake of a deadly crash early Sept. 3 in the town of Portville.
The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office said Skyler J. Hess of Wells Road was driving a pickup truck on Route 417 when it struck a Jeep legally parked on the side of the road. The Jeep was propelled across a lawn at 465 Portville-Ceres Road and it struck Kayden Joseph Belleisle, 19, of Olean, who was killed.
The sheriff’s office said the pickup truck then struck a sedan before veering off across the yard into a tree. During the course of events, Gabby Kranock, 18, and Hailey Bello, 16, students at Cuba-Rushford Central School, were also struck and injured.
The sheriff’s office reported Friday that Kranock, who was taken to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo after the incident, remained in critical condition. Bello was transported to Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo and was reported to be recuperating at home.
Hess, who apparently suffered no injuries, was arrested and charged with DWI, a misdemeanor; one count of vehicular manslaughter, a second-degree felony; and two counts of vehicular assault, also a second-degree felony.
“Additional charges are pending upon the completion of the investigation by the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Bureau,” a sheriff’s office release stated.
Hess was arraigned in Portville Town Court, with bail set at $50,000 cash or at a $100,000 property bond. The sheriff’s office said Hess posted bond and was released under supervision to appear in court on the charges at a later date.
Belleisle had graduated from the Southeast Lineman Training Center in Trenton, Ga., on Aug. 18 and was looking forward to being a lineman with National Grid, according to his obituary printed in Wednesday’s edition of the Times Herald.
Belleisle enjoyed skiing, fishing and camping with his family and friends. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1249 based in Syracuse.
Friends were received Friday at the Letro-McIntosh-Spink Funeral Home in Olean. Services will be held at noon Saturday at the Church Without Walls, 1803 W. State St., Olean, officiated by Rev. Tyrone Hall.
A GoFundMe page for Belleisle’s family, as of Friday afternoon, had raised nearly $25,000 thanks to about 550 donations.
On one of two GoFundMe pages created for Kranock, her mother, Lisa, said she was stable Monday after surgery to repair discs in the front of her neck. Lisa Kranock said a second surgery for Tuesday for the back of her neck and lower spine went well with no complications.
Kranock said a tracheotomy was performed Wednesday and Gabby had been breathing on her own but doctors had her go back on breathing support. On Thursday, Kranock said Gabby is still on the ventilator to help her breathe because of the pain.
“They are trying to figure out the best pain management and get her off the really hard meds so she can hopefully be moved out of the ICU,” Lisa Kranock said Thursday. “As of today she still can’t feel anything below her shoulders; however, she can shrug them so we are praying she will regain movement.”
As of Friday afternoon, Gabby Kranock’s two GoFundMe pages raised a combined $11,000 from about 230 donations.
An update from a GoFundMe page created for Bello said she had been discharged Monday and was recuperating at home. The post said she had a high ankle fracture as well as a broken foot, but doctors are optimistic that she, with extended care, will make a full recovery.
As of Friday afternoon, Bello’s page had raised over $4,300 from nearly 100 donations.
