Two people were critically injured early this morning when their vehicle crashed into trees after leaving a road outside the city of Gloversville at a high rate of speed, police said.
Both were airlifted to Albany Medical Center by helicopters following the 1:50 a.m. accident, said Fulton County Sheriff Thomas Lorey.
Their medical conditions were unknown as of late this morning.
The driver, Matthew J. Williams, 20, of Fort Hunter, was charged with driving while intoxicated, operating a vehicle with a suspended license and unsafe speed, Lorey said.
His passenger is Slater Baker, 15, of West Fulton Street.
Lorey said Williams was traveling between 80-90 mph when he lost control of his car on West Fulton Street, which has a posted speed limit of 55 mph.
The car traveled more than 1,000 feet in the air and struck several trees. Lorey said the car was demolished and that both Williams and Baker were trapped inside of it with the roof caved in. Firefighters extricated them after 40 minutes using the Jaws of Life.
“I amazed both are even alive,” Lorey said. Both were wearing seatbelts and no other vehicles were involved.
A blood test established that Willaims was driving while intoxicated, Lorey said. He did not have Williams’ blood alcohol content reading.
Lorey said the accident occurred near Slater’s home and that his relatives as well as neighbors were first on the scene and called for help. “Several houses in area heard a tremendous crash and came out to see what happened,” he said.
Williams’ license had been suspended for failing to appear in a traffic court in Montgomery County, Lorey said.
As part of his department’s investigation, Lorey said authorities are looking into how Williams obtained the alcohol he consumed prior to the accident. The legal drinking age in New York is 21.
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