Two Dead After Fiery Crash on Long Island Expressway

A pair of people were killed in an accident on the Long Island Expressway on Thursday, August 6 at approximately 3 p.m. in the town of New Hyde Park.

According to law enforcement, a pickup truck was heading west on the expressway when it collided with the rear of a tractor trailer close to exit 34. Following the collision, the pickup truck burst into flames, resulting in the two passengers inside being trapped. Unfortunately, neither was able to escape, and both sustained fatal injuries.

The fire department arrived at the scene to extinguish the blaze but responders were unable to rescue the victims, who were transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office. No one else was injured in the collision.

Liability in rear-end collisions

In the vast majority of cases, the liable party in a rear-end collision will be the vehicle in the rear. It is the responsibility of all drivers to leave an appropriate amount of space between their vehicle and the vehicle(s) in front of them so they can avoid circumstances in which a sudden stop or slowdown could cause an accident.

There are some circumstances in which the driver that was hit in a rear-end collision might bear partial liability, such as if their taillights or brake lights were out. But most of the time, expect the vehicle in the rear to bear liability, almost regardless of the reason why the driver who was hit was stopped.

For more information about liability in rear-end collisions and how you can proceed with a personal injury claim if you’ve been injured in one, contact an experienced attorney at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP.