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Boy Dies in Crash with "Reckless" Driver

A woman and a two-year old boy are dead following a two car crash at around 10 o'clock Friday night on Dewey Avenue in Rochester.

Rochester police say one of the drivers was reckless - ignoring snowy, icy roads, going very fast, and passing cars on the wrong side.

According to police, at Dewey and Albemarle Street, the car crossed lanes and hit an oncoming sedan. A two year old boy died shortly after the crash at Strong Memorial Hospital. His mother was injured. A passenger in the first car, a 35-year old woman from Rochester also died. The man driving that car is being treated at Strong.

Greece police say this may have started with a reported theft at the Dewey Avenue Walmart store. Store security provided police with a description of the vehicle which was was last seen going south on Dewey.

Greece Police Captain Brian Uhrmacher says one of his officers was near WalMart on a traffic stop and started to search for the car. The officer found it stopped at Dewey and West Ridge.

"He attempted to effect a traffic stop at that intersection and the suspect vehicle then sped off. The officer at that point, considering several circumstances, decided not to pursue the vehicle any further at that point."

Uhrmacher says the officer followed training.

"Circumstances would include weather conditions at the time, the severity of the crime that was involved and the fact that the officer when he pulled up behind the vehicle, before he attempts to make a traffic stop, is able to obtain a license plate."

The officer did get the license plate and decided not to chase the car.

No time of year is a good time for something like this to happen, but around the holidays it's just tragic.

"You can't control what that other party is gonna do, when you are in pursuit, but in this case, when he didn't have an officer behind him...no, you can't control that."

Greece and Rochester police continue to investigate the theft and crash.

"It's obviously a tragic circumstance, and no doubt there's several families affected by this, at this point,” said Uhrmacher. “No time of year is a good time for something like this to happen, but around the holidays it's just tragic."