One of two females run down by a vehicle in Webster, NY this past Wednesday night talked to the public for the first time since the incident. Carrie Baxter and Susan Moriarty were struck by a car while going for a bicycle ride on State Road. The man driving, Michael Lattuca, 27, has been charged with a DWI. Although it is not against the law in New York State, Lattuca admitted that he was typing a text message on his cell phone when the accident occurred.
According to Baxter, she and her friend were biking a distance of 25 miles just as they do every Wednesday. Suddenly, there was a deafening bang, and both women jolted forward with extreme force until they impacted the ground. The automobile’s side mirror knocked Baxter off her bike, but unfortunately, Moriarty received the brunt of the collision. They both flew off of the embankment with their bicycles and debris in tow.
Sue Whipple, who resides at 1790 State Road, was exiting her back porch when she heard the commotion. Luckily, Whipple is a certified EMT and was able to reach the two women promptly. She realized immediately that one of them was in much worse shape than the other.
As for the driver, Baxter said he was in shock and was not even able to think clearly enough to punch in 9-1-1 on his phone. Lattuca then turned to Baxter and apologized profusely for the damage he had done, exclaiming he should have known better than to text and drive. Finally, when he had calmed down, the driver told Baxter, “I’m going to jail.”
While Baxter only has a bruise to show for the accident, Moriarty had a spinal cord injury. She also apparently had road rash to the point that burn specialists were brought in to monitor her in intensive care.
It turns out that both women are going to fully recover and should be riding together again by next spring, but Lattuca will likely have a tougher road ahead. He will be in Webster Town Court on September 17th.
