Erin Bigler
Erin Bigler
CLARENCE, NY (WGRZ) -- Calling hours are set for Thursday and Friday for a teen who died from injuries in a freak accident over the weekend in Clarence Center. Erin Bigler, 15, died on Monday at ECMC.
The Bigler family was driving down Goodrich Road in Clarence Saturday afternoon, when a large tree limb fell on the car. State Police say Randall Bigler was driving southbound on Goodrich Road near Sesh around 4:30 p.m. Saturday when a huge limb measuring 24 feet long and 54 inches wide fell 20 feet from a tree and landed on the back seat of the car crushing it.
Erin was in the back seat of the Buick LeSabre.
Calling hours will take place Thursday and Friday from 4-8 PM at the Dengler, Roberts, Perna Funeral Home at 8630 Transit Road in East Amherst. Services will be held on Saturday at 11 AM at the North Presbyterian Church on North Forest Road in Williamsville.
Her family says Erin's organs were donated. In a statement, the family said "Erin was a very kind and loving person. She always wanted to help others, and we felt that given the choice she would have wanted us to make this donation so that she could help others in the best way possible. Throughout this tragedy we have prayed for a miracle, and if we could not have our wishes granted, that we could provide a miracle for others."
Grief counselors are available all day at Clarence High School where Erin was a freshman. Principal Ken Smith told 2 On Your Side's Claudine Ewing that Erin "was a great young lady. She had a contagious smile. She was a happy, fun-loving, positive young lady. She had a really strong core group of friends."
Erin's parents were in the front seats. They were both treated and released with minor injuries.
Julie Wakefield, Erin's aunt said the family had just picked up Erin on Saturday from a friend's house. They were taking a different route because the road they would normally take was flooded.
One day after the accident, Erin turned 15-years-old.
Late Sunday night, we caught up with a couple who witnessed the accident unfold. "Janet" and her boyfriend say they were heading in the opposite direction.
"He just stopped and I asked if anybody else was in the car cause they were both out," said the boyfriend. "And they said their daughter is in the back seat."
"Janet" tried to help as well.
"The parents were just like shocked, and the girl was laying the back seat, and she was stretched over in the back seat, and I went over and her nose was bleeding."
She continued saying that the teen was unconscious.
"I was just telling her to hold still and keep your head still and stuff."
State Police don't know what caused the tree branch to break off and fall, but Lieutenant Kevin Barnas tells us investigators will see if this weekend's wet weather was a factor.
"It's still under investigation. They will look at that and see the condition and age of tree at this point."
Erin was initially taken to Millard Fillmore Suburban and later transferred to Erie County Medical Center.
Sunday afternoon, Channel 2 News talked to Erin's cousin Adam Wakefield, who is with the family at ECMC. Wakefield posted an update on our Facebook page informing us that Sunday was Erin's 15th Birthday.