The WNY Listening Post

Multi-Vehicle Pile-Up on North Bailey Becomes a Riddle: Two Wrecks, Three Vehicles, One Red Car That Took Off

Amherst PD spent forty minutes trying to figure out whether one crash or two had stopped traffic near Maple and Tudor.

At 12:35 p.m. Amherst Fire Dispatch toned out a motor vehicle accident on North Bailey, with a separate report of a rollover at Maple Road and Tudor Road moments later^[1]. Within ninety seconds an Amherst PD unit told dispatch “this might be a multiple vehicle accident… one vehicle stopping on the roadway and the other two or three are at the old side area”^[2].

By 12:50 the picture had only gotten weirder: a unit asked dispatch “is your guy claiming that either of my vehicles up here were involved, say a dark Ford SUV and a Chevy Silverado pickup?” before the radio came back with “they're telling me that this might be two different accidents, and then there's a red car involved that took off”^[3]. The driver of one vehicle admitted to dispatch he had rear-ended “another vehicle, but was unsure of the exact vehicle at the time.”

By 1:13 p.m. the parties had been separated; the responding officer told dispatch “the party in the white Mazda was the aggressor. The person in the black Silverado was very calm with us”^[4]. Six minutes later, looking for the missing red vehicle, an officer asked another unit “you don't see any red car parts, so it indicates that there was one involved, do you?” The answer: “No, we have no red car parts”^[5]. Drivers were moved to the crash investigation site for paperwork and Amherst Unit 11 took over the case^[6]. No injuries reported on the air.

“Some Type of Altercation Happening at the Political Rally”: Amherst PD Sends Three Cars to Maple and Boulevard

At 2:30 p.m. a single Amherst PD transmission set the units in motion: “For some type of altercation happening at the political rally, Maple and Boulevard”^[7]. Cars Six and Seven started that way. By 2:31 they had narrowed it to the JCPenney side: “A few minutes ago they were on both our side and the Tonawanda side, so I don't know which side it taps on… we were told it's the JCPenney side, our side”^[8]. The radio chatter that followed went to Buffalo CPS dropped calls and an investigation involving an alleged cell-phone snatch by a man named Alex Valesky at 186 North Forest, with the unit noting “he did sound intoxicated”^[9]. Whether the rally and the phone call are the same incident is unclear from the air; both stayed open at the cutoff.

“Like Nothing's Going to Get Better”: Welfare Check on a Down Caller at 1250 Campbell

At 8:14 a.m. an Amherst PD officer relayed the dispatcher's read on a depressed male in his fifties at 1250 Campbell, North Rockingham area. Black shirt, green shorts. “He's being a bit evasive on the phone, but sounded very down. It's like nothing's going to get better,” the dispatcher told the unit, noting the address had “extensive 10-12 history”^[10]. A meal-delivery worker named Nathaniel had agreed to meet the officer there. The officer eventually checked the house and the area — “I didn't see him in North Rockingham, so I'll be at the house” — and was let inside^[11]. Screen updated, no transport on the air.

Two Women Pass Out Five Minutes Apart at 5152 Rockledge Drive

Amherst Fire Dispatch ran the address back-to-back. At 9:14 a.m. a fire team was dispatched to 5152 Rockledge Drive, between Rockhaven Drive and the dead end, for a female cardiac patient^[12]. At 9:19 a.m. dispatch was back on the channel: “To Rockledge Drive, between Rockhaven Drive and the dead end, for another female passing out”^[13]. Whether two patients were inside the same household, or whether a second resident reacted to the first call, was not clear on the air.

Niagara Falls Blvd / Sheridan Drive Two-Car PDO, Linked to a Pep Boys Lot Incident

At 11:58 a.m. Amherst Fire Dispatch put a call out for a motor vehicle accident at Niagara Falls Blvd and Sheridan Drive^[14]. Dispatch noted “the location, I just talked to the police, they had a PDO come in before this, in the parking lot of Pep Boys, which may be related”^[15]. Two cars, no injuries.

Attempted Larceny at 118 Lamarck Drive: “Some Sort of Device” Used to Open the Vehicle

At 8:36 a.m. Amherst PD took a report of an attempted larceny from a vehicle overnight at 118 Lamarck Drive: the caller believed his car was gone through, nothing taken, and that the suspects “used some sort of device to get into his last vehicle”^[16]. A second UUMV report from 110 Lamarck came in two hours later^[17], suggesting the same overnight pattern.

Anonymous Complaint, Specific Description: Black Male, Josh Allen Jersey, Red Slides

At 9:38 a.m. an Amherst PD dispatcher relayed an anonymous complaint with specific clothing detail: “black male in his 50s, 6'2″, skinny, wearing a black baseball cap, Josh Allen jersey, and red slides”^[18]. The complainant requested anonymity and no “sight rinse.” The screen was updated and units went back in service nineteen minutes later without incident.

“You Want Another Taco?” — “I'm All Set. Thank You, Though.”

The new Bills stadium gets a private security frequency, and shortly after lunch the channel devolved into the most polite catered-snack negotiation in Western New York. At 12:39 p.m. on the HMS Security channel an exchange that began “Yes, we're over,” ended with “You want another taco?” followed by “I'm all set. Thank you, though.” “Okie dokie.” Sign-off complete^[19]. Earlier, the same crew had spent fifteen minutes of the morning rotating bike racks at Gate 5, walking each other through which freshly paved roads were closed: “The road that just got paved last night,” one officer began — ten minutes later, the same officer was still on it^[20].

Yesterday's Stuffed-Pepper Hams Are Back on FRS-15, This Time Talking ICOMs and Brockport Repeaters

The FRS-15 hobbyist saga continues. From 10:25 to 10:55 a.m., the same low-power family-radio channel that gave us yesterday's Bradford-PA stuffed-pepper recipe was occupied by a long, low-stakes conversation between two ham operators about an ICOM 2730, scanning by bank, and 70-centimeter repeater coverage from Buffalo to Columbus, Ohio^[21]. The peak: “I'm fixing to start traveling again. It's just no bandwidth”^[22]. Followed by an extended attempt to remember the PL tone for a Brockport repeater they'd once heard on 550^[23]. Same cast, same channel, same Saturday energy.

Embassy Suites Shuttle: “Please Be Quiet, We're Guests.” Embassy Control: “This Thing's Being All Wonky Today.”

The Niagara-side hotel shuttle channel was the warmest broadcast of the day. At 10:13 a.m., over Embassy Shuttle 1, somebody whispered into the radio “please be quiet, we're guests”^[24]. By 12:32 p.m. Embassy Control was confessing “maybe the radio signal didn't go through, but I did. I said I had guests for the Hyatt… this thing's being all wonky today,” followed instantly by “leaving the tower? Have to hide”^[25]. The day's premier hotel-ops mystery, however, came at 9:11 a.m.: a guest in room 1609 had reported “possibly or apparently a nail sticking out… TV. Can you just check on that, please?”^[26]. Whether it was the nail or the TV that needed checking, only the front desk knows.

Buffalo Limo Driver, 7:52 a.m.: “You Ever Get a Song Stuck in Your Head and You Can't Quit Singing It?”

BuffaloLimo dispatch held forth all morning. The opener, before 8 a.m.: “You ever get a song stuck in your head and you can't quit singing it?”^[27]. By 1:38 p.m. the same channel was signing off with what could only be described as a fan letter to the dispatcher: “I'll call you soon. Thank you, it's very cool to be able to talk to you”^[28]. In between, somebody on BuffaloLimo briefly reported “Crisis Services referral”^[29]; whether for a passenger or for the driver, the radio did not say.

BNIA United Ramp Asks Three Times in Twelve Seconds: “Did Rakim Come Down There?”

At 9:12 a.m., over the United Ramp frequency at Buffalo Niagara, a worker repeatedly hailed a colleague: “Did Rakim come down there? — Can you repeat that? — Did Rakim come down there?”^[30]. We don't know either, Rakim.

BNIA Tower at 10:34 a.m.: “Landing at Signature Ramp Will Be at Your Own Risk”

The B-N Tower delivered the most ominous transmission of the morning, calmly and without elaboration: “Seven-two, proceed on course, landing at signature ramp will be at your own risk”^[31]. The aircraft turned for runway 23 a few minutes later. There was no follow-up about the risk. There was no follow-up about anything.

NYSTA Channel 4: “Set a Pedestrian Call in the Area of Exit 56 West”

At 2:26 p.m., over NYSTA Ch 4, troopers were given a pedestrian call at Exit 56 westbound — that is to say, a person on the New York State Thruway^[32]. No further detail. We hope they got off the highway in time.

TPS BNIA Shuttle: “I Will Never Work Another 11-to-7 Shift in My Life.”

The shuttle dispatch frequency at the airport delivered three of the day's better lines, one after another. At 11:58 a.m.: “If you don't gaze, you're going to be disappointed”^[33]. At 12:00 p.m.: “What, eleven-to-seven? I will never work another eleven-to-seven shift in my life”^[34]. By 12:54 p.m., the day was officially branded: “Goofy start to the day, Carol”^[35].

JetBlue Ramp: “I Don't Think I Got Enough Muscle for That, But We'll Try. — I'm Just Joking. We Don't Have Any.”

At 1:41 p.m. on the JetBlue Ramp channel, a worker volunteered for the Sisyphean assignment, cheerfully and with full self-awareness^[36]. The most honest transmission on the BNIA system today.

Niagara County Dispatcher Greets the Crew at 1:36 P.M.: “Good Morning, Everyone”

The shift change is whenever you say it is. At 1:36 p.m., over NC FD Dispatch, somebody keyed up with “Good morning, everyone,” eight hours late and unbothered^[37].

Sardinia: Garage Fire on Trumpet Road Pulls in East Concord, J.P. Sardinia, Austin, and Westvale

Springville-East Fire Control had the fire of the early afternoon. At 1:20 p.m., dispatch toned out a structure call to 14239 Trumpet Road — “car supporting garage is on fire” — with one engine, one rescue, one tanker, and Mercy Ambulance assigned^[38]. Within four minutes the dispatcher had activated East Concord, J.P. Sardinia, Austin, and was contacting county for Westvale^[39]. By 1:48 p.m. Springfield, East Concord and Martin's Corner were all paged with “requesting all available” manpower for the garage fire^[40]. T-Hamburg's Boston 2 was rerouted to a fill site for the tanker at the Country Fair in Springville^[41]. North Boston was activated at 2:05 p.m. to keep the relief moving^[42]. No injury reports on the air during the listening window.

Hamburg: Leaking Propane Tank at Holden Lake, 9504 East Road

At 2:02 p.m., T-Hamburg FD Dispatch called for additional manpower for “a leaking propane tank at Holden Lake, 9504 East Road,” with Hardy paged for reference response^[43]. Unit 815 marked on location a minute later.

Buffalo: Assault Victim Reported Near MLK Park; BFD Establishing Command on Separate Property

At 2:17 p.m. BFD Ch1 dispatch sent EMS to the area of 844 Back from March near MLK Park for a “report of a victim of assault,” police on the way^[44]. Unrelated, at 2:44 p.m. a BFD officer keyed up “I'm on location establishing command” at a property whose manager could not be reached: “4-3-B advised to try to reach out to the property manager. No answer”^[45].