Swerving to miss deer causes two cars to flip

Updated: 07/21/07 6:43 AM

 Two vehicles flipped over — one after swerving to avoid a deer, the other to avoid the first vehicle — on the Niagara Thruway on Grand Island early Friday, but state police reported no serious injuries.

The accident occurred at about 3:15 a.m., when a northbound vehicle driven by Matthew C. Clingersmith, 24, of Niagara Falls, swerved to avoid a deer in the passing lane, flipped over and landed on the driver’s side in the middle of the two lanes, Trooper Daniel Golinski said.

The second driver, Shirley E. Davis, 54, of Buffalo, swerved to avoid the Clingersmith vehicle. She lost control of her vehicle, which went off the road, into a drainage ditch, and rolled over on its roof.

Both drivers, plus Heather Link, 22, a passenger in Clingersmith’s vehicle, were taken to Erie County Medical Center. Troopers ticketed Clingersmith for speed not reasonable and prudent and changing lanes unsafely, Golinski said.