‘This is bothersome’ Two children killed, one in critical condition after two-car crash

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC)—Rochester Police say two children are dead and another is in critical condition after a two-car crash on the city’s west side Wednesday morning.

RPD Commander Greg Bello said police went to the scene around 9:45 a.m. near the intersection of Lyell Avenue and Mt. Read Boulevard. Bello said the car carrying an adult and the three children was turning left from Mt. Read onto Lyell Avenue and RFD says video shows the car was t-boned by another car that was going straight through the intersection.

The video does not show the traffic lights but does show every traffic at the intersection.

The RFD says the three children were thrown from the car.

The Rochester Fire Department later confirmed the two children killed were 11 years old and four years old. The child in the hospital is eight. RFD says the four-year-old was pronounced dead minutes after arriving at Strong Memorial Hospital and the 11-year-old died at the scene.

Police say the mother of the children is 30-years-old. She was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The driver of the other vehicle has been identified as a man in his 20s. He was treated and released from the hospital. Police say he’s been cooperating with the investigation and has not been charged.

I am at the scene of what appears to be a horrible accident at Lyell and Mt. Read. A clearly distraught woman was taken away in an ambulance. The entire intersection is closed. @news10nbc pic.twitter.com/T5OyxzeeDe

— Berkeley Brean (@whec_bbrean) November 24, 2021

Bello described an "emotional scene" and said witnesses are incredibly distressed. Bello said one of the cars attempted to make a left onto Lyell from Mount Read while the other car was heading north on Mount Read.

"Obviously our hearts, our thoughts, and prayers go out to everybody involved, family members," Bello said. "As we go into the holiday season or any time of year, but especially the holiday season, to have deceased children is just crushing. I’ve got my own two kids at home. This is bothersome."

Cmdr. Greg Bello says two children were killed in the crash at Mt. Read and Lyell. He called the death of the children especially the day before Thanksgiving “emotionally crushing.” @news10nbc pic.twitter.com/EXoC4c1AMF

— Berkeley Brean (@whec_bbrean) November 24, 2021

Jean Paul Morales was at work when the crash happened. Video shows him running to the corner.

“I heard a crash," Morales said. "I ran to the scene.”

That’s when she says he found a boy lying near the curb.

"So I went to the, I’m going to say 6-year-old, and laid on the ground with him and held his head off of the concrete and just started talking to him telling him that it’s going to be okay," Morales said.

Jean Paul Morales heard the crash this morning at Mt. Read and Lyell and ran to help. He says he cradled and comforted a boy he found near the curb. ?@news10nbc? pic.twitter.com/eCsrgzzJ0N

— Berkeley Brean (@whec_bbrean) November 24, 2021

Morales spoke with News10NBC Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean before RFD informed us the child he helped was actually 8 years old.

Morales said the boy kept asking for his mother.

Wednesday afternoon, Esther Dellamonica brought her children and a handful of balloons to the scene.

“All the kids that are of the community are for the community and of the community," Dellamonica said. "So it’s important for the community to show love.”

The Major Crimes Unit is investigating and is asking anybody with information to call 911, the Major Crimes Unit at 585-428-7157 or Crime Stoppers at 585-423-9300.

News10NBC will continue to follow this story.