Chief weighs in on wrong-way crash

AMHERST, N.Y. (WIVB) - A wrong-way driver collided head on with an assistant chief of the Getzville Fire Department.

Getzville Fire Assistant Chief Chris Kaplewicz is at home resting Wednesday. Officials say he was checked out at the hospital before being released. As for the driver who traveled the wrong way, she was in surgery Wednesday morning.

The accident happened around 1 a.m. Wednesday. Amherst Police say 61-year-old Sandra Metzler was driving northbound in the southbound lane of the 1800 block of Millersport Highway.

Assistant Chief Kaplewicz was responding to a call, headed south on Millersport Highway, when he was hit head on. Officials had to cut open Metzler’s vehicle to get her out.

Kaplewicz is a husband and a father to young kids, and has dedicated his life to service others.

Getzville Fire Chief Bob Zacher said, “Chris is a nurse, he works on Mercy Flight for pediatric transports and he, I believe last year, was our number one responder in Getzville with over 600 calls that he does as a volunteer.”

Zacher said, “He seems to be okay. I am sure he's going to be sore today they released him, checked him over and gave him a clean bill of health.”

Zacher says there was a witness who said Metzler didn’t have her lights on. Amherst Police are continuing to investigate why she was headed the wrong way down Millersport Highway.