A Selkirk teen was in serious condition after being struck by a truck Thursday, July 19.
Bethlehem police said Shayne Coluccio, 16, of Elm Estates in Selkirk, was on his bicycle at the intersection of Elm Avenue and Creble Road at about 11:06 p.m. when a tractor trailer driven by William Kauffman, 47, of Washington, Ind., hit him. Police said Coluccio failed to yield to the right of way and was not wearing a helmet.
Deputy Bethlehem Police Chief Timothy Beebe said Coluccio was traveling from an “unsupervised party where alcohol was served.” He said the department received a call earlier in the night about the party and responded to the house and that their response was “independent from the crash.”
The teen’s bicycle hit the trailer’s axle and he was run over by one of the axles, police said. He was treated on the scene before being transported to Albany Medical Center as of press time.
Beebe said Coluccio underwent a 10-hour surgery, but that he had “a pretty good chance. He also said it would be impossible to determine if Coluccio was under the influence through toxicology because he lost so much blood and had to receive multiple transfusions.
A hospital spokesperson said Coluccio’s condition had been upgraded to fair as of Monday, July 23.
Kauffman and his co-driver did turn over blood samples to police, and a State Police inspection of their truck did not result in charges. Police are still investigating the incident and both Creble Road and Elm Avenue were closed until 5 a.m. Friday morning while Bethlehem police and State Police performed accident reconstruction.
Beebe said two suspects turned themselves in for providing alcohol to those at the party after an investigation was conducted by police.
Brett Bellevilli, 21, and Mike Crisafulli, 17, both living at the same address on Elm Avenue in Selkirk, were charged with unlawfully dealing with a child, acting in a manner injurious to a child and possession of marijuana. All the charges are misdemeanors.
Beebe said there was an “unusual amount of cooperation among party-goers with police.”
Bellevilli and Crisafulli will both appear in court at a later date, police said.
