What Happened
A four-car crash on the eastbound Southern State Parkway near Exit 40 shut down two lanes and injured multiple people at approximately 5:57 a.m. Tuesday, September 1, 2026. New York State Police confirmed the collision, according to News 12 Long Island.
State Police said more than one person suffered minor injuries in the crash. The exact number of people hurt was not confirmed as of the 6:38 a.m. report filed by News 12 Long Island reporter Mike Smollins. No fatalities were reported.
The middle and right eastbound lanes near Exit 40 remained closed after the crash. The closure hit during the heart of the Tuesday morning commute, when eastbound volume on that stretch of the parkway runs high.
No vehicle types, collision mechanism, or contributing factors were released by State Police as of initial reporting. Names of those involved were not provided.
Location & Road Context
Exit 40 on the Southern State Parkway serves the Babylon area. The eastbound lanes at that point carry commuter traffic toward the Sunrise Highway interchange and points east across Suffolk County. Travelers on the Southern State Parkway faced two-lane restrictions with no confirmed reopening time reported by 6:38 a.m.
The crash is the 55th incident recorded on the Southern State Parkway corridor in the past 30 days, according to Long Island Traffic’s incident registry, which puts 2026 total incidents on the corridor at 209. The most recent prior fatal crash on this road occurred August 7, 2026. Two additional crashes were recorded on the Southern State Parkway the same morning, including a moderate crash and a minor crash, both also on September 1.