Staff Report / July 3, 2026
NAPLES NY – A multi-vehicle collision on a local detour route transformed a regular Wednesday afternoon into a scene of devastating loss and breathtaking heroism. While the fiery wreck ultimately claimed the life of a 71-year-old man, local authorities emphasize that additional catastrophe was averted by the split-second bravery of a passing driver.
The incident unfolded at approximately 3:42 p.m. on County Road 12, an area currently absorbing heavy traffic as a detour for the ongoing State Route 21 construction project. According to accident investigators, a 2025 Nissan Pathfinder driven by 40-year-old Morgan Gleidman of Cohocton traveling northbound crossed the center line for unknown reasons, colliding head-on with a southbound Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Brian Johnson and towing a fifth-wheel camper trailer. A GMC SUV traveling directly behind the camper was unable to stop in time, striking the rear of the trailer.
The initial head-on impact caused both the pickup truck and the Pathfinder to burst into flames. Johnson was trapped inside the burning wreckage and could not be reached; he was pronounced dead at the scene. However, Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione revealed that 34-year-old Luke Sparra of Fairport the driver of the trailing GMC SUV immediately ignored his own safety to pull the remaining passengers from the fast-spreading inferno.
“I truly believe that without his actions, we would have had five more fatalities,” Sheriff Cirencione stated during a press conference, praising the citizen’s quick thinking.
The roadside rescue operation relied on the immediate actions of ordinary citizens who refused to stand by as a tragedy deepened:
- Sustaining and Ignoring Personal Injury: Despite sustaining a minor injuries during the initial chain-reaction collision, the trailing driver immediately exited his vehicle and rushed toward the active fire scene.
- Extricating a Trapped Family: Working against encroaching flames, the driver pulled the female operator of the Pathfinder and her two young children from their burning SUV as the fire began to compromise the vehicle.
- A Coordinated Shield for a Surviving Passenger: After clearing the SUV, the driver joined forces with an unidentified female motorist who had stopped to help. Together, they successfully pulled the deceased pickup driver’s 71-year-old wife from the truck cab just before it became entirely engulfed.
- Crucial Care from a Passing Nurse: Another passing motorist, who happened to be a nurse, stopped at the scene and stayed with the injured children, administering vital medical evaluation and emotional support until emergency services arrived.
- Complex Air Medical Logistics: First responders arrived to a highly challenging scene aggravated by detour traffic delays. Emergency crews coordinated a response that included flying the driver of the Pathfinder directly from the roadway via Mercy Flight, while two additional medical helicopters met ambulances at nearby fire halls to airlift the surviving truck passenger and a 6-year-old boy to the hospital.
While an 8-month-old infant escaped the ordeal entirely uninjured, three victims remain hospitalized in guarded condition in the intensive care units at Strong Memorial Hospital with serious injuries. The remains of the deceased driver have been transferred to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine an official cause of death. Authorities are continuing their investigation into why the northbound vehicle veered off course, while actively working to identify the anonymous woman who assisted in the final life-saving extraction.
