Verona, NY (June 27, 2026) – A 30-year-old man died after his motorcycle was struck by a pickup truck that pulled into his path on State Highway 365 in the Town of Verona, according to New York State Police.
The crash happened at approximately 4:30 p.m. on June 27, 2026, at the intersection of State Highway 365 and Blackmans Corners Road. State Police say a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado, operated by Clayton C. Bellows, age 66, of Clinton, NY, was attempting to cross traffic after stopping at Blackmans Corners Road when the vehicle was struck by a 2002 Harley-Davidson motorcycle traveling westbound in the passing lane.
The motorcyclist sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Bellows was not injured in the crash.
State Police Oneida and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) are continuing the investigation. A Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) and a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) also responded to the scene. Traffic in the area was diverted but has since reopened.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
Losing a family member in a crash at an intersection leaves questions that deserve real answers, not silence from an insurance company.
Fatal Motorcycle Accidents in Upstate New York
When a driver pulls into the path of an oncoming motorcycle at an intersection, the law allows the victim’s family to pursue a wrongful death claim. These are the steps that matter most in the weeks following a fatal crash:
- The family does not need to wait for the criminal investigation or BCI findings to conclude before consulting a wrongful death attorney. A civil claim runs on its own track, independent of any criminal or traffic proceeding.
- What investigators examine: which driver had the right of way when entering the roadway, whether the Silverado driver had adequate sight lines at Blackmans Corners Road, the speed and position of both vehicles before impact, and any skid or contact marks documented by the Collision Reconstruction Unit.
- Witness accounts, dashcam footage from passing vehicles, and the CRU’s reconstruction report are time-sensitive. Memories fade and footage is often overwritten within days.
- Under New York law, a wrongful death claim must generally be filed within two years of the date of death (NY EPTL § 5-4.1). For a death on June 27, 2026, the filing deadline is June 27, 2028. Acting well before that date protects the claim and the evidence it depends on.
- New York follows a pure comparative fault standard. Even if questions arise about speed or lane position, the family’s right to recover is not automatically eliminated.
Contact Our Upstate New York Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
No family should have to spend the days after this kind of loss chasing down police reports and fielding calls from an insurance adjuster. Grief is not a negotiating position, and the other driver’s insurer knows it.
Our Upstate NY motorcycle accident lawyers handle fatal intersection crashes throughout Oneida County and across the region. When a driver who failed to yield takes a life, the resulting wrongful death claim in Upstate New York can recover compensation for funeral expenses, the income your family has lost, and the relationship that cannot be replaced. The firm has recovered millions for injured clients and their families across decades of practice here.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit’s report and any intersection camera footage will be among the first things we move to preserve. That documentation does not stay available forever.
There are no upfront costs and no fee of any kind unless we recover for your family.
Why Upstate New York families trust Stanley Law Offices:
- 90+ years of combined legal experience on our team
- Joe Stanley, Board Certified in Civil Trial Practice by the American Board of Trial Advocacy (ABOTA)
- Joe Stanley selected to Super Lawyers 18 consecutive years (2008-2026)
- BBB A+ rating
- Google 4.7-star rating across hundreds of verified reviews
- Millions recovered in verdicts and settlements for injured clients and their families
- We will never settle your case without your consent
- Home and hospital visits available
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- Available 24/7
- No fee unless we win
Talk With an Upstate NY Wrongful Death Attorney at 1-800-608-3333
