Balmy but 'accidental' Tuesday

Story by Eli Ruiz
SULLIVAN COUNTY — February 1, 2013 — The recent arctic blast resulting in freezing temperatures, snow, and subsequent icy roads, has wreaked havoc in the area, causing accidents, damage to at least one local business and a very busy day for emergency responders throughout the county.
Ironically, several notable incidents happened on Tuesday, which marked a break in the cold-snap with single digit temperatures giving way to comparatively balmy 40-plus degree climes in the area.
At 7:30 a.m. on Route 17B in Mongaup Valley, Bradford Root of Scarsdale was headed westbound on the busy roadway. Just up the road a tractor trailer belonging to Alnye Trucking, LLC, out of Moravia, was negotiating a U-turn to head eastbound when Root actually drove underneath the mammoth semi with his Acura SUV.
Although a terrible looking accident – it even sparked persistent rumors throughout the area of a fatality – no one was killed or even seriously injured in the incident.
“It’s amazing that he was able to walk out of this accident,” said Sgt. Luis Alvarez of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, who investigated.
“[Root] said he hit the brakes just before the impact,” Alvarez noted.
Root was sent to Catskill Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and subsequently released.
Car into house
At approximately 10:20 a.m., in Hurleyville, Christina Dobbs was headed northbound in a late model Dodge Neon when she was allegedly cut off by another vehicle at the corner of Main Street and Brophy Road, causing her to drive into a vacant home at 336 Main Street.
The driver suffered a broken nose, according to Fallsburg police officers on the scene, and was taken to CRMC for observation. Hurleyville resident Ilene Wizwer – who with husband Stuart owns the vacant home – was also on the scene, and said, “I just hope that she’s OK,” adding, “The house has been in our family more than 60 years, but right now we’re just concerned for her [accident victim].”
Responding to the accident were the Hurleyville Fire Department, Fallsburg Police and MobileMedic.
Wet furniture
In Monticello, the folks at the Monticello Bagel Bakery opened up for business Tuesday morning and noticed a large amount of water pouring out from underneath the front doors of Nu-Design Furniture – located just across the street from the bakery at 476 Broadway.
“It was crazy the amount of water that was pouring out of there,” said Brian “Bummy” Fleishman, who works at the bakery and whose family owns the long-running business. He added, “We called police and I guess they must have contacted the owners [of Nu-Design].”
Soon after, Nu-Design owner Wilson May arrived on the scene, and said, “I couldn’t believe it… there were at least seven or eight inches of water in the place.”
The damage at the local business was apparently caused by a broken water-pipe located in the ceiling of a back room of the nearly century-old building which at one time was a Woolworth’s.
Frank Corces, who owns a gold buying operation in the building, said, “I’d estimate that about 80 percent of the [furniture] inventory in here was damaged.”
Asked if the pipes may have frozen and burst, Corces speculated, “Honestly, the pipes are copper, so I don’t know if maybe someone was in here last night trying to steal some copper or if they actually froze and burst.
“I guess the police will settle that question,” added Corces.