Head-On Collision Stops Traffic in Southampton
Two trucks collided at a fairly high rate of speed on County Road 39 in Southampton at just past 3 p.m. on this rainy Monday afternoon, March 14. Police, EMT and fire department responders have stopped traffic in both directions on the busy road.
UPDATE: Traffic was returned to normal before 6 p.m. on Monday evening.
An eyewitness, who was driving alongside the victims at the time of the accident, which occurred directly in front of the Southampton Full Gospel Church, said a black pickup truck was heading eastbound when he tried to switch lanes, lost control on the wet road, skidded across the highway and smashed into a chemical truck, from Southampton arborists SaveATree, heading westbound in oncoming traffic. The black pickup flipped onto its passenger side, while the “arbor patrol unit” truck’s front end was completely smashed in.
Responders—including Southampton Volunteer Ambulance, New York State Troopers, Southampton Fire Department and Southampton Town Police—stopped traffic away from the accident and worked to extract drivers from their vehicles. The driver of the black pickup, who appeared to be the only person in the vehicle, was pulled from the truck’s rear window and placed into a waiting ambulance.
Fire Department personnel had to work a bit harder to remove two injured people from the SaveATree truck, which had been crumpled on the driver’s side.
Traffic was still stopped in both directions as of 4:11 p.m. on Monday. It could affect today’s commute, so be prepared.