Updated: Owego boy, sister victims from Sunday’s fatal crash

Two children are now dead from the Sunday, Oct. 20 crash on Route 17.

According to an update from the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office released Wednesday, 7-year-old Zachary D. Allen of Owego died shortly after the crash. A GoFundMe page (https://cutt.ly/LehS6vo) set up by his father’s family revealed that Allen’s sister, 11-year-old Trinity G. Allen of Owego, has since passed away.

Trinity was initially taken to the Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital following the crash, and then was flown to the Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse where she was listed in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s office. Through the GoFundMe page, father Robert Allen shared that Trinity had not showed any brain activity since the crash, and there was no improvement when doctors performed a second examination Wednesday morning.

“She always played and pretended to be a superhero with superpowers and now she’ll get that chance as we have decided to donate her organs and hopefully Trinity can live on and give another child an opportunity to live a fulfilling life,” he said.

According to investigators, 38-year-old Darlene L. Allen of Sayre was driving a 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback east when she hit a deer about 2.5 miles east of exit 61 (one of the Waverly/Sayre exits). A tractor-trailer driven by 66-year-old Volodymyr Frolyak of Ontario, Canada, was unable to stop in time for the slowing vehicle and struck it from behind.

The GoFundMe page noted that Darlene was Zachary and Trinity’s mother, and she was taking them back to their father’s home at the time of the crash.

Darlene’s youngest son, five-year-old Nathan G. Slater, who was sitting between Zachary and Trinity, was transported to the Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital and released. Darlene was transported to Robert Packer Hospital and is currently reported to be in critical condition.

Diane Palfreyman of Towanda, Darlene’s sister, stated on Wednesday, “Darlene is critical, with a severe brain injury. Concussion. She’s very confused; she’s thinking it was an accident she had a long time ago.”

She noted, at the time of this reporting, that Darlene is not aware the children have passed; and [the doctors] are concerned with seizures.

Palfreyman has started a fundraiser on Facebook (https://cutt.ly/UehCxvx) for Darlene so she wouldn’t have to worry about medical expenses. 

“It will be a big help with some of her expenses while she is out of work,” she added.

Palfreyman also spoke about Trinity and Zachary. Ever since she was little, she was autistic, said Palfreyman of Trinity, noting that the girl always wanted to be by her brother’s side.

“They were soul mates — they played together, they did everything together — it’s something special,” she stated, adding, “I believe they were taken together, because you don’t see that type of relationship very often.”

Robert expressed his gratitude for the support that has come through the GoFundMe page and the prayers for his family.

“This is by far the most difficult thing we’ve ever dealt with and we appreciate everything that has been offered and done for us and our family,” Robert said. “It’s been evident by the outpouring of support that Zachary and Trinity touched so many lives. From friends, families, neighbors, teachers, and schoolmates, our two babies have made a lasting imprint on so many people. The way people have bonded together and rallied behind our family give us a renewed sense of hope that everything will eventually be okay.”

The Owego-Apalachin School District Superintendent, Corey Green, issued a statement to the Owego-Apalahin community, stating that the district’s crisis intervention team, as well as the UHS Mobile Crisis unit, were made available on Monday and would continue to be available throughout the week, and the next, to support students and staff. 

“We will continue to assess the need for additional emotional support moving forward,” stated Green in the statement, adding, “If you feel that your child or family is in need of assistance, please contact us, and we will do everything we can to help you.”

The school offered a statement earlier in the week as well, and offered condolences to the family and those closely affected by this tragic accident.

The Tioga County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the crash. Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call the Criminal Investigations Division at (607) 687-1010.

The New York State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and Collision Reconstruction units, Waverly-Barton and Nichols fire departments, Greater Valley EMS, and the New York State Department of Transportation all assisted at the scene of the accident on Sunday.