Man Hit By Car in Royalton Dies, His Dog Was Struck and Killed Minutes Earlier
ROYALTON, N.Y. -- A town of Royalton man was hit by a car Monday morning outside his Akron Road home and was later pronounced dead at a Buffalo hospital.
According to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office, Robert Strassel, 55, was hit around 5:20 a.m., about 20 minutes after his dog was hit and killed by a different car.
"The deputy got here, the dog had already been cleared off the road, he was pronounced deceased here, and while investigating that, the owner of the dog had went to clear off some of the debris from the dog and the car that hit it from the roadway, and when he was in the middle of the road he was struck by a westbound vehicle," said Lieutenant Brian Harrer, Niagara County Sheriff's Office.
Harrer says Strassel was taken to Erie County Medical Center by helicopter, where he died. Harrer says the deputy who was investigating the death of the yellow lab was in the driveway when Strassel was hit.
"The deputy's pretty shook up," Harrer said. "He's a young deputy, and to happen before his eyes, it's pretty traumatic. He heard it and then he rendered first aid."
Harrer says Strassel was hit by a 23-year-old driver from Barker, and at that time in the morning, darkness could have been a factor.
"The 23-year-old said he didn't see him at all. He actually heard him before he saw him," Harrer said.
No charges have been filed against drivers in either crash. According to the sheriff's office, the 23-year-old who hit Strassel consented to a blood test, and was cleared of having drugs or alcohol in his system. His cell phone was taken so deputies could investigate if he was using it at the time of the incident.
Bill Teaven lives on Akron Road near the scene, and says his family is very sad for their neighbors.
"The daughter comes over here quite a bit and plays with my daughter," Teaven said. "Seems like a hardworking guy. Guy's got a lot going over there with horses and they're going to need some help now. He's gone, there's a lot of stuff that's got to be done."
Teaven says the stretch of road is dangerous, and he wants to see something changed before another crash happens.
"Five times since May that I've seen bad, bad accidents happen out here," Teaven said. "I'm talking, they are going 70, 80 miles an hour, passing cars, by the time they hit my driveway. The speed limit has to get lowered on this road. That's the bottom line."
