Rome man charged in 2017 Fatal Thruway crash
State Police arrested Everett L. Taylor, 23, of Rome, May 1, for leaving the scene of a fatal accident (a class D felony), leaving the scene of a personal injury accident (a class E felony), reckless driving (a misdemeanor) and moving from lane unsafely (a violation).
Taylor was arraigned May 1, 2018, in Oneida County Court and was remanded to the Oneida County Jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bail bond.
On Saturday, May 27, 2017, at approximately 3:23 p.m., State Police were dispatched to the area of Interstate 90 (state Thruway), near mile post marker 244.2, in the town of Westmoreland to investigate a car vs. motorcycle serious personal injury accident.
The accident occurred between Everett L. Taylor, the operator of a 2008 Hyundai passenger vehicle, and the operator of a 2017 Harley Davidson, Joseph A. Perrotti, 47, of Utica. The driver and passenger of the motorcycle sustained serious injuries and were transported to an area hospital.
On June 2, 2017, Perrotti succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at an area hospital.
Taylor was not injured in the accident.
The accident investigation revealed that Everett Taylor was driving eastbound in the passing lane and the motorcycle was traveling eastbound in the driver’s lane. Taylor’s vehicle then drove from the passing lane into the driver’s lane, at which time the rear passenger side of the car struck the front tire of the motorcycle. Both passengers of the motorcycle were ejected, and the Hyundai kept driving, headed off the exit ramp, never stopping.
An Oneida County Sheriff’s deputy, who was checking the area for the suspects’ vehicle, located and stopped a blue Hyundai with rear passenger side damage on Furnace Street in the town of Westmoreland, which matched the description of the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run accident.
Taylor was taken into custody without incident.