Police ID Woman Killed in Route 17 Motorcycle-Truck Collision

A woman was killed and a man was seriously hurt in a collision involving a tractor-trailer and a motorcycle in a construction zone on Route 17 in Tioga County.

Authorities said a "large group of motorcycles" was merging onto the expressway at the Exit 66 interchange in Apalachin.

According to state police, one of the motorcycles collided with an eastbound tractor-trailer on the highway.

A passenger on the motorcycle, 52-year-old Karie VanDeusen of Olean, was pronounced dead at the scene.

52-year-old Steven Myszka of Olean, the driver of the bike, was taken to Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City. His condition was not released.

State police investigators have questioned the operator of the tractor-trailer. His name was being withheld by the authorities.

Both vehicles were traveling east in a section of the highway in the town of Owego that is divided by a concrete barrier. Traffic in both directions on Route 17 has been using the eastbound side for more than three months while a major reconstruction project is underway.

Eastbound traffic was diverted from the highway at Exit 65 near Lockheed Martin in the town of Owego.

The detour caused vehicles to back up on Route 17. The heavy volume of eastbound car and truck traffic snarled Route 434 through Apalachin and Vestal.

Route 17 was closed to eastbound traffic for more than four hours.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.