Staff Reports
A single-vehicle crash in Schoharie County turned into a heartbreaking scene late on September 14 when a car ran off Rickard Hill Road, slammed into a tree and burst into flames, leaving two people from Kissimmee, Florida, dead. New York State Police say the driver, 59-year-old Delwin C. Shaver, was pronounced dead at the scene while his passenger, 50-year-old Sybil Laraway, was pulled from the burning wreck and later died at Albany Medical Center.
According to local reports, neighbors and bystanders rushed to the mangled vehicle and managed to pull the passenger free before rescue crews arrived — a raw reminder that ordinary Americans still run toward danger to help one another. Those citizens deserve our gratitude for acting without hesitation, even when the outcome was tragically out of their hands.
This was not a story about politics; it was a story about courage, grit and the shrinking band of good Samaritans who still believe in saving a neighbor. In a culture that too often celebrates division, these men and women — and the first responders who arrived after — showed what real American character looks like: practical, unglamorous heroism in the face of disaster.
But heroism alone can’t erase the human cost. We should demand better from our leaders when it comes to public safety, road maintenance and programs that encourage responsible driving and clear-headed behavior behind the wheel. It’s not a partisan ask to expect safe streets and to make sure first responders have the tools and respect they need to do their jobs.
Every life lost in a preventable way should be a clarion call for communities to reclaim personal responsibility and common-sense values. Support your local police, volunteer firefighters and emergency medical crews; honor the bystanders who acted without thought for themselves; and insist that policymakers stop treating law and order as optional.
Our prayers are with the families of Delwin Shaver and Sybil Laraway, who traveled far from home and met a tragic end on a lonely stretch of road. Let us turn sorrow into resolve: protect our communities, back the brave men and women who answer the call, and never forget that ordinary citizens still make extraordinary sacrifices for others.
