On September 2, 2025, at approximately 12:00 a.m., the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a vehicle that had struck a utility pole and caught fire on Ridge Road (State Route 104) in the Town of Ridgeway.
Upon arrival, deputies found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames on the property of 12623 Ridge Road. Live power lines had fallen across the roadway and around the vehicle, preventing emergency personnel from immediately reaching it. National Grid crews arrived and disconnected power, allowing Ridgeway Fire Company to extinguish the blaze.
One male occupant was located inside the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver has been identified as Brad Ohlson of Batavia, N.Y. The victim was transported to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination.
The preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling westbound on Ridge Road at a high rate of speed when it left the roadway, striking several fixed objects before overturning and catching fire. Multiple properties sustained damage, including utility poles, a mailbox, fencing, and a tree.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Ridgeway Fire Company, National Grid, Batavia Police Department, and the Orleans County Coroner’s Office.
This incident remains under investigation.