3 die after cars crash on Route 5 in Herkimer, starting a fire

Three people were killed in a two-car crash that led to a vehicle fire late Sunday night in Herkimer, according to a release from New York State Police.

Sean C. Bracken, 26, of Newport, had been driving around 10:30 p.m. with 21-year-old passenger Faith Ann McFarland of Dolgeville, traveling east on Route 5, when his vehicle collided head-on with an SUV driven by Ryan A. Harrington, 34, of Little Falls, who had been traveling west on Route 5, the release said.

A later release from state police Wednesday stated Harrington had crossed into the eastbound lane, striking Bracken's vehicle.

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Bracken, McFarland and Harrington were all killed in the collision, with Harrington's vehicle catching fire in the crash, the release said. The East Herkimer Fire Department, City of Little Falls Fire Department and state police all responded to the scene. The drivers' sides of the vehicles collided with such force that firefighters worked for nearly an hour to extricate the drivers, the release said.

An investigation by state police into the crash is ongoing.

Check back in on this developing story.

H. Rose Schneider covers public safety, breaking and trending news for the Observer-Dispatch in Utica. Email Rose at hschneider@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Herkimer fatal crash: Three people dead after Route 5 two-car crash