Wrong-Way Collision in Suffolk County Results in Two Deaths

Two people died from injuries sustained in a head-on, wrong-way collision in Suffolk County that occurred late on Tuesday, December 17.

According to Suffolk County police, the accident happened at approximately 10 p.m. that evening on the westbound section of Sunrise Highway, just east of Exit 64 in Southampton. At the time, a 2004 Mercedes Benz was heading east in the westbound lanes. The driver slammed head-on into a 2008 Toyota Camry.

The 28-driver of the Camry, a woman from Hicksville, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The 28-year-old male driver of the Mercedes from Mastic was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center, where he would be pronounced dead of his injuries as well. Police continued to investigate the accident as crews worked for more than eight hours to clear the wreckage on the highway.

Wrong-way drivers always liable

In an auto accident claim involving a wrong-way driver, that wrong-way driver will be liable for the accident in almost every case, as they broke one of the most basic rules of the road. Wrong-way accidents are most commonly caused by drunk or distracted drivers, but can also be a result of poor signage, causing a driver to believe a highway offramp is actually an onramp.

Wrong-way accidents usually result in head-on collisions, which are much more serious in nature than other types of accidents and significantly more likely to result in fatalities.

For more information about the steps you should take if you or a loved one have suffered from injuries caused by a wrong-way driver, contact an experienced personal injury attorney at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia LLP.