State Route 5 bypass in Bazetta shut down due to accident

WARREN — The Bazetta Police Department was making plans to shut down the state Route 5 Bypass at Elm Road at a little before 4 p.m. today to allow a medical helicopter to land and take at least one victim from a fiery crash to the hospital.

The county 911 center said the crash occurred at 3:26 p.m. on the bypass near East Market Street when a pickup truck hit heading eastbound toward Howland hit a tree.

People with fire extinguishers came to help put out the fire that resulted, but a man was trapped inside, the 911 center said.

By 3:45 p.m. police had blocked traffic so that the helicopter could land on the eastbound exit ramp at East Market Street.