Interim Greece police chief injured in crash: What we know now
For the second time in three months, a Greece police chief was involved in a crash.
According to New York State Police, which is investigating the crash, interim Greece Police Chief Jason Helfer was driving west on Kuhn Road, near Country Place Lane, when another vehicle drove into the path of his town-issued sport utility vehicle.
Here's more on the most recent crash, which occurred Wednesday afternoon.
What happened?
Greece police in a news release said that an eastbound vehicle while turning left into a driveway, turned into the path of Helfer's westbound SUV.
Helfer swerved to avoid a collision, but he lost control of the SUV and struck a telephone pole, according to Greece Police. The crash occurred at 1:30 p.m.
Greece police and North Greece firefighters first responded to the scene, but turned the investigation over to the State Police.
Helfer suffered minor injuries and was taken to Unity Hospital in Greece for treatment. The second driver was not injured in the crash, troopers said.
No other details of the crash have been released.
An investigation is currently underway.
What happened in crash involving former Greece police chief Andrew Forsythe?
Former Greece Police Chief Andrew Forsythe last month pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired and admitting that he was intoxicated when he crashed into a guardrail and totaled his town-issued sport utility vehicle on Route 390 on Oct. 21.
Forsythe, who served as chief for less than a year, resigned from his job several days after the crash.
At first, a Greece police spokesman said Forsythe swerved to avoid striking a deer crossing the road just north of the Ridgeway Avenue exit. Town Supervisor Bill Reilich requested an external investigation.
Who is Jason Helfer?
Helfer, a deputy chief at the Greece Police Department, became the interim chief when Forsythe resigned in late October.
He has worked for the town of Greece since 1997 and for the Greece Police Department for more than two decades, starting in 2000.
Michael Wood named new Greece Police Chief
Michael Wood, a deputy commissioner at the state Division of Criminal Justice Services who also previously worked for the Rochester Police Department for two decades, is set to begin his role as chief next week.
The department, which oversees public safety in Monroe County's most populated town, has approximately 100 sworn officers.
Contact Victoria Freile at vfreile@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @vfreile and Instagram @vfreile. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Jason Helfer injured in crash in Greece NY. What we know now
