Wantage fire police member killed in UTV crash in New York

A Sussex County fire police member was killed and his passenger injured when the utility terrain vehicle he was driving was struck by a pickup truck Sunday in upstate New York, authorities said.

William J. Timko Jr., 62, of Wantage, was driving a 2017 Polaris Ranger 1000 east on Milk House Road in Turin, a small town in Lewis County, when he went through a yield sign at the intersection of Route 12 and was struck by a Ford F-150, according to a statement by the New York State Police.

Timko Jr. was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. A 53-year-old passenger, also from Wantage, was injured and taken to an area hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, authorities said.

The driver of the pickup truck was treated for minor injuries and a passenger was not injured. The driver tested negative for signs of impairment, police said.

Timko Jr. joined the Wantage Township Fire Department as a fire police member earlier this year and was present at many scenes to ensure firefighter safety, the Colesville Fire Company said in a Monday post on Facebook. Colesville is one of two volunteer fire departments that covers Wantage Township, the other being Beemerville.

Email: lcomstock@njherald.com; X (formerly Twitter): @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Wantage NJ fire police member killed in UTV crash in Upstate NY