Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A serious single-vehicle crash on County Road 39 in Southampton triggered a medical evacuation and widespread traffic disruptions near Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Tuesday evening, June 16, 2026, during the 126th U.S. Open.
The accident occurred on CR-39 west of the pedestrian bridge near Shrubland Road. Local authorities moved to implement traffic restrictions in the area, and the USGA issued an email alert to fans and credentialed media shortly before 6 p.m. ET. “Emergency response efforts, including a medical evacuation, are underway,” the USGA’s message read, according to Golfweek. The identities and conditions of those involved in the crash have not been publicly released at this time.
The westbound lane of County Road 39 was closed as a result of the crash, though the USGA indicated it was expected to reopen shortly. In the meantime, the organization warned: “Fans, as well as media, should plan for heavier traffic and extended travel times leaving the course.” Transportation operations and departures from the championship grounds were flagged as subject to significant delays.
The disruption hit the media corps particularly hard. Several journalists had already exited the grounds when shuttle service was suspended, forcing them to turn back and return to their desks. Others chose to make the trip on foot, Golfweek reported. One press member, invoking the legacy of legendary golf writer Charles Price, summed up the situation this way: “Most people can’t get in Shinnecock; I can’t get out.”
The crash capped a day that had already been defined by extreme traffic conditions. According to Golfweek, traffic getting to Shinnecock Hills had been the dominant topic of conversation on Tuesday morning, with those attempting early arrivals reporting that 30-mile drives to the course were consuming nearly three hours. Conditions had eased somewhat by midday on what was described as a beautiful, sunny day — one that saw players working to learn the nuances of the storied links layout.
Despite the improved midday conditions, the crash late Tuesday evening confirmed what many had feared: that County Road 39 in Southampton would remain a pressure point throughout the week of the championship. The access corridor into the south shore of eastern Long Island is limited to two lanes in each direction, leaving little capacity to absorb the volume of spectators, media, and support staff that a major championship draws.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place on County Road 39 in Southampton, specifically west of a pedestrian bridge in the vicinity of Shrubland Road — a stretch of roadway that functions as one of the primary arteries for U.S. Open traffic flowing in and out of Shinnecock Hills. The road’s two-lane configuration in each direction offers minimal redundancy when an incident occurs, meaning even a localized closure can cascade into region-wide delays along the south shore of eastern Long Island.
The broader CR-39 corridor has historically been a bottleneck during large-scale events at Shinnecock. Event organizers and transportation planners had already been fielding complaints about travel times before Tuesday evening’s crash added an emergency closure to the mix.
Broader Impact
The USGA’s advisory explicitly warned that the disruption applied to both fans and media, and the suspension of shuttle service left a number of credentialed press members stranded at the course — a logistical complication with real deadline implications for national and international outlets covering the 126th U.S. Open. With the championship still in its early stages and two lanes in, two lanes out remaining the structural reality for the week, Tuesday evening’s crash underscored the vulnerability of the transportation plan to even a single incident on County Road 39.