Wrong-Way Accident in Brookhaven Kills 2, Injures 1

A wrong-way crash on Long Island led to the deaths of two drivers and critical injuries to a passenger.

The accident reportedly occurred in the early morning hours of November 27 in the Suffolk County town of Brookhaven. According to law enforcement authorities, a 23-year-old man was driving his sedan the wrong way on Sunrise Highway and crashed into a van. Both he and the driver of the van were killed, and a passenger in the van also suffered serious injuries.

A Suffolk County police officer was also injured at the site when a street sweeper collided with his patrol car. The officer’s injuries were non-life-threatening, although he had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital. The driver of the street sweeper had reportedly fallen asleep at the wheel.

Wrong-way accidents tend to be serious

These types of crashes tend to happen on divided highways, and thus vehicles are usually traveling at high rates of speed. As a result, these head-on crashes are often very serious in nature. Although police officers have not determined the exact cause of this recent accident, many wrong-way crashes occur because a driver is intoxicated and does not realize he or she is traveling in the wrong direction. Poor signage the fails to direct motorists is another common factor.

If you or someone close to you has been seriously injured in a car accident due to another party’s negligence, speak with a skilled personal injury lawyer at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP right away.