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Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A 9-year-old boy from Centerport died in a horrific wrong-way crash on the Southern State Parkway early Thursday morning after his intoxicated mother drove their vehicle into oncoming traffic, according to New York State Police. The child was secured in the rear seat of the vehicle driven by his 32-year-old mother.
Police responded to the multi-vehicle crash around 2:20 a.m. Thursday on the Southern State Parkway eastbound near exit 42 in Islip. Four vehicles were involved in the collision, which New York State Police Major Stephen J. Udice, Troop L Commander, described as exceptionally severe. “To give you an idea of the severity of the impact, the engine of the wrong-way driver vehicle was thrown from that vehicle into the woods, some distance from the collision,” Udice said during a joint press conference with Suffolk County Police.
Prior to the fatal crash, a Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office patrol witnessed the suspect’s vehicle traveling in the wrong direction and attempted to stop the vehicle, according to police. “However, the wrong way driver sped up and refused to stop,” Major Udice stated. Investigators believe the driver may have been traveling the wrong way on Sunrise Highway before entering the Southern State Parkway, though the crash remains under investigation.
The impact was so violent that even though the 9-year-old was properly secured with a seat belt in the back seat, he could not survive the collision, police said. All other individuals involved in the four-vehicle crash were transported to area hospitals with injuries that appear to be non-life threatening, according to authorities.
The driver faces multiple serious charges including aggravated unlicensed operation, operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, aggravated DWI with a child-passenger less than 16, endangering welfare of a child, and criminal possession of a stimulant, police said. She is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning, though attorney information was not immediately available.
Chopper 4 footage showed extensive wreckage scattered across the roadway, with debris covering the pavement. The highway was temporarily shut down in the area to assist with the investigation before later reopening. “This is a true tragedy,” Major Udice said of the incident.
Location & Road Context
The crash occurred on the Southern State Parkway eastbound near exit 42 in Islip, a major thoroughfare connecting communities across Long Island. This stretch of roadway has seen 117 recorded incidents in traffic databases, with recent events including overnight roadwork operations and previous fatal crashes that have highlighted ongoing safety concerns on the parkway.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The New York State Police investigation remains active, with authorities seeking additional information from the public. Anyone who may have witnessed the wrong-way vehicle leading up to the crash or has other relevant information is asked to contact New York State Police at 631-756-3300. The suspect is scheduled for arraignment Friday morning on the multiple charges, which include the most serious level of DWI due to the presence of a child passenger under 16.