Driver killed in accident near Bayfront Parkway in Erie

This story has been updated with the correct name of the crash victim. The Erie County Coroner’s Office said it initially released a different name in error.

A 42-year-old driver who died Thursday afternoon when his Toyota sled rolled over near Bayfront Parkway in Erie is said to have had several epileptic seizures in the past. However, the cause of the car crash will probably never be determined, Erie police said.

The Erie County Coroner’s Office identified the motorist as Von D. McCallum of Erie. Coroner Lyell Cook said Friday he determined McCallum died of multiple blunt force injuries resulting from a car crash.

McCallum was the only occupant of the car, which police described as a 2005 Toyota Avalon. McCallum was killed when the car struck a curb on East Fifth Street and was thrown into the air shortly before 2:20 p.m. Thursday.

The Toyota struck the curb where East Fifth Street meets Wayne Street heading south. Wayne Street runs parallel to Bayfront Parkway to the east in this area.

The Toyota was traveling at about 50 miles per hour in a 25-mile zone, said Thomas Dunmire, an Erie police sergeant and accident investigator in the case.

On Friday, Dunmire said family members had reported that McCallum had suffered from “convulsions and epileptic fits” in the past, but only a medical professional could determine whether McCallum had suffered a seizure before the accident.

Cook said his office is not conducting an autopsy in this case. He said whether an epileptic seizure occurred could only be determined while McCallum was still alive. McCallum was pronounced dead at the scene.

Just before MCallum’s Toyota hit the curb, it clipped two cars on East Fifth Street — one on the north side and the other on the south side, Dunmire said. He said the car then hit the curb, which “acted like a ramp,” sending the Toyota flying.

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