Man missing following car accident, tragedy feared

Family and friends are searching the St. Regis River and Hogansburg dam area this week following an early morning car accident Sunday that resulted in one man missing.

The accident occurred between 2 and 3 a.m. when two cars collided at the intersection of Route 37 and St. Regis Road, according to the Hogansburg-Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department. Ienteh Lyons of Akwesasne was the alleged driver of one of the vehicles involved in the accident. The other vehicle was occupied by several teenagers who were treated for minor injuries.

According to HAVFD Police Chief Norman Peters, Lyons was last heard in the water downstream from the bridge in Hogansburg. Details surrounding the accident and immediate aftermath are unclear at this point.

The HAVFD as well as neighboring fire departments and numerous police and rescue agencies searched the area of the Hogansburg dam and a helicopter was used to search up and down the St. Regis River shorelines up to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.

“Representatives from Tribal Police, HAVFD, Franklin County and St. Lawrence County agencies coordinated, planned and directed search crews to search the river banks and the river during the early morning hours until noon when it was decided that every possible area was searched on the surface of the river,” Peters said. “Divers were not allowed to dive in the fast moving river.”

A command post was set up at Burgers and Fries near the dam and community members remained gathered there through the week waiting for any sign of Lyons. The HAVFD and St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police said they are conducting daily evaluations of the river conditions and water levels in order to continue the water search when it’s safe. Due to heavy October rainfall, water levels throughout the North Country are high.