Police: Wrong way driver in Northway fatal had illegal handgun

Lohr McKinstry, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
·2 min read

Sep. 6—LEWIS — The Maine driver who drove the wrong way on Interstate-87 and allegedly caused a fatal crash had a loaded unlicensed pistol with him, State Police said Wednesday.

Kathy J. Groshans, 47, of Port Henry was killed when a pickup truck operated by Brian M. O'Leary, age 37, of East Millinocket, Maine, hit the vehicle she was riding in head-on Monday night.

AUTOPSY RESULTS

On Wednesday morning, an autopsy was conducted at Glens Falls Hospital by pathologist Dr. Michael Sikirica and determined the cause of death for Kathy Groshans to be hemorrhage due to fractures from blunt force trauma in the crash. The manner of death was ruled accidental.

Police suspect drugs were involved and have applied for numerous search warrants for the vehicles involved in the collision, electronic devices, and biological evidence. Charges against O'Leary are pending laboratory analysis.

MONDAY NIGHT INCIDENT

The incident started Monday at 7:39 p.m., when Essex County 911 received the first of several calls regarding a pickup truck traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of the Adirondack Northway.

O'Leary's pickup truck was first observed at mile post marker 92, police said. At 7:59 p.m., the pickup truck was at mile post marker 114, still traveling northbound in the southbound lanes.

At 8:01 p.m., State Police uniform patrols encountered O'Leary in the vicinity of exit 31 for Westport. They attempted to stop him without success and the collision occurred at mile post marker 125 in the town of Lewis.

During the pursuit, O'Leary apparently posted a short video of the chase to his Facebook account, taken from inside his 2019 Ford F150 truck. The video shows another car swerving to avoid him, and the police vehicles in pursuit. The clip was apparently shot with his cellular phone.

O'Leary remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Kathy Groshans' husband, Dale N. Groshans, 66, who was driving, and their grandchildren, 4 and 7-year-old boys who were in the back seat of Groshans' 2019 Dodge Ram truck, are listed in stable condition. All are still patients at University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington.

INVESTIGATION ONGOING

After the crash, O'Leary was found to be in possession of a loaded handgun in a reachable area on his person, police said. O'Leary does not possess a New York State Pistol Permit and was illegally carrying a handgun while traveling in New York state.

This investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding the collision has been asked to contact New York State Police at 518-873-2750.