Photo courtesy of Brad Jerome.

BY MATT LINDSEYNorth Country This Week

NORFOLK — A Potsdam man struck by a car while helping motorists on State Route 56 says his injuries are more serious than reported by state police and questions whether he has been treated fairly in the aftermath of the crash.

Bradley F. Jerome, 50, suffered an 8-inch laceration to his head that required 36 stitches, a broken nose, a concussion and swollen, black-and-blue eyes, he said. He has been unable to eat since the Oct. 18 crash and is currently unable to work due to the injuries.

“I’m going to look like Frankenstein when I take this bandage off,” Jerome said.

State police described Jerome’s injuries as non-life-threatening in their initial report, a characterization he disputes.

Brandi Ashley, a state police public information officer, said injuries should be described as non-life-threatening when a person is transported to a hospital with injuries that are not considered serious or life-threatening and emergency medical personnel at the scene have no concerns that the person’s condition may deteriorate.

Jerome said he is frustrated with how the incident has been handled and believes his concerns have not been fairly addressed.

“It felt like my life didn’t matter to state police,” Jerome said.

Jerome also questioned whether the other driver’s condition was adequately investigated, saying he believes toxicology testing was not conducted. He also said state police told him they were holding off on filing charges while they waited to see how his injuries healed.

Ashley said troopers conducted a thorough investigation into the motor vehicle, deer and pedestrian accidents. As a result, she said, the driver was issued traffic tickets for violations of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law related to his actions.

State police refused to provide the specific charges to North Country This Week

“We are not allowed to give out the vehicle and traffic charges,” Ashley said. 

Jerome said he wants people to understand why he stopped on Route 56 to help. Although processing deer is his occupation, he said he was not there to retrieve an animal for his business.

“It had nothing to do with deer. I stopped to make sure human beings were okay,” he said.

Jerome said he initially was unaware a deer had been struck. After he stopped to assist the motorists, the deer was struck twice more, he said.

The crash occurred at about 6:57 p.m. Oct. 18 on a flat stretch of Route 56 near Bethel’s Garage in Norfolk.

State Police said a northbound red 2010 Toyota operated by Jason Briggs, 44, Potsdam, struck a deer. Police said Jerome was at the scene attempting to remove the deer carcass from the roadway when a southbound white 2011 Chevrolet operated by Mark J. Gonyou, 38, Norfolk, struck him after the driver failed to observe him.

Jerome disputes the account, saying he was standing in a pedestrian lane rather than the roadway.

Ashley said any portion of the roadway, including the paved surface, shoulder or pedestrian lane, is considered part of the roadway.

Jerome also claims Gonyou continued driving for about a quarter-mile before stopping and questions why he did so.

State police did not confirm or dispute Jerome’s claim when questioned by North Country This Week.

He said he cannot understand how someone can hit a person and continue driving as though nothing happened. 

The injuries have left Jerome unable to work during the fall hunting season, an important time for his deer-processing business. He said he does not know when he will be able to return to work.

Jerome added he wants people to know he stopped because he believed others needed help and is now dealing with the physical and financial consequences of being struck by a vehicle. 

Family members have created a GoFundMe to assist Jerome while he recovers from his injuries. To donate, visit here.