DIX HILLS, NY- Patch.com reports that two drivers have suffered injuries resulting from a crash that occurred on Thursday morning on the Long Island Expressway. The collision involved multiple vehicles and one tractor-trailer. A driver was reportedly stuck in their vehicle as a result of the crash and had to be rescued by firefighters […]
DIX HILLS, NY- Patch.com reports that two drivers have suffered injuries resulting from a crash that occurred on Thursday morning on the Long Island Expressway. The collision involved multiple vehicles and one tractor-trailer. A driver was reportedly stuck in their vehicle as a result of the crash and had to be rescued by firefighters through the use of extrication tools.
The injured drivers were transported to Good Samaritan Hospital. The injuries sustained were all reported to be non-life-threatening.
The accident occurred when the 18-wheeler truck failed to break in time to avoid hitting a Honda Accord. The Accord hit the guardrail and then collided with a van. The van then hit another car.
Police do not expect any criminal involvement in the crash.
Three lanes of westbound traffic on the LIE were closed for around 2 hours while the cars were cleared. The closure of westbound lanes between Exit 50 and Exit 51 led to traffic delays.
Accidents involving trucks are often severe due to the large size of tractor trailers. These vehicles outweigh cars and other passenger vehicles by as much as 20 or 30 times. When truck drivers fail to keep a wide distance between themselves and vehicles in front of them, they create a risk to other people traveling on the road. Because of their mass, trucks take longer to stop than passenger vehicles. A truck will travel 20% to 40% farther after breaking than a car. On a road that is slick or wet, the difference increases.
One of the main causes of accidents is distracted driving. This problem occurs frequently when drivers are looking at cell phones, changing radio stations or engaged in any other activities that take their eyes away from the road. When it comes to truck drivers, fatigue is also a major issue as these drivers often travel 11 hours in a stretch or more.