Flyers’ Briere, 9-year-old son escape serious injury in traffic accident near NY-Pa state line

Flyers’ Briere, son in traffic accident in NY

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Philadelphia Flyers star center Danny Briere and his 9-year-old son escaped serious injury in a collision with a tractor-trailer near the New York-Pennsylvania state line early Thursday, authorities said.

The accident happened around 12:30 a.m. on Interstate 81 just north of the Pennsylvania line. New York State Police Sgt. Steven Barlow said Briere was “a little drowsy” and trying to pass the truck when his SUV drifted to the right in the passing lane and clipped the side of the tractor-trailer, causing the driver of the rig to lose control.

Briere’s black 2010 Range Rover then swerved and hit a guardrail as the tractor-trailer jackknifed and flipped onto its side. Briere’s SUV sustained substantial damage to the front end, and the rear was crushed by the impact. The accident blocked northbound traffic for about five hours.

Briere and his son, Cameron, were taken to a Binghamton hospital, treated for minor injuries, and released. The driver of the truck, Kenneth R. Azzarella, 52, of Nineveh, N.Y., also was treated for minor injuries at the hospital and released.

Briere said in a statement posted on the Flyers’ website that he was headed to Canada to visit family and friends.

“My youngest son and I are both okay. We are doing fine,” Briere said.

Barlow said Briere, 32, of Haddonfield, N.J., was ticketed for an unsafe lane change, but there was no indication that he was speeding.

Briere led all NHL scorers in the Stanley Cup playoffs with 30 points on 12 goals and 18 assists, a franchise record, as the Flyers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the finals.