Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A westbound driver attempting to pass another vehicle caused a multi-car collision on Montauk Highway Sunday afternoon that left several people injured and required firefighters to use the Jaws of Life to extract a trapped occupant, according to News 12 Long Island.
The crash occurred just after 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the bend by Kalers Pond on Montauk Highway, police said. Bernard Johnson was driving a Nissan westbound when he attempted to pass a Honda and struck a Chevrolet traveling eastbound, creating a head-on collision. The sequence of impacts continued when the Honda was subsequently hit by vehicles following the initial collision between Johnson’s Nissan and the oncoming Chevrolet.
Fire crews responding to the scene discovered one occupant was trapped and unresponsive in their vehicle. Emergency responders had to deploy the Jaws of Life hydraulic rescue tools to remove the driver’s side door to extricate the trapped person from the wreckage.
A man and woman who were inside the struck Chevrolet sustained minor injuries and were transported to NYU Langone Hospital for treatment, according to the News 12 Long Island report. The driver of the Honda remained uninjured despite their vehicle being struck in the secondary collision.
Johnson was charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs following the crash. He was also taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that police described as not life-threatening. The collision involved at least three vehicles and left multiple people requiring medical attention in what began as an improper passing maneuver on the busy Long Island thoroughfare.
The crash required a significant emergency response, with fire crews, police, and emergency medical services all responding to the scene at Kalers Pond to handle the multi-vehicle collision and conduct the vehicle extrication.
Location & Road Context
The collision occurred on Montauk Highway at the bend by Kalers Pond, a section of roadway that serves as a major east-west corridor across Long Island. Montauk Highway runs through multiple townships and connects communities from the western portions of Long Island all the way to the eastern tip in Montauk Point.
This stretch of Montauk Highway has seen multiple incidents in recent months, with our database showing 8 recorded incidents on this roadway. Recent activity has included several periods of roadwork in April 2026, suggesting ongoing maintenance and construction activity in the area that drivers navigate regularly.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Johnson faces charges of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, a serious offense that indicates investigators determined he was under the influence of controlled substances at the time of the collision. The drug impairment charge suggests police conducted field sobriety testing or other evaluations that led them to conclude Johnson’s ability to operate his vehicle was compromised.
The investigation into the multi-vehicle crash would likely include accident reconstruction to determine the exact sequence of events, speed factors, and other contributing elements beyond the alleged drug impairment. Police have not yet announced whether additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.