Police: Man Killed After Being Hit By 2 Vehicles On The Long Island Expressway
JERICHO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A man was killed after being hit by two vehicles early Thursday morning on the Long Island Expressway.
It happened around 2 a.m. on the eastbound side of the LIE near exit 41 in Jericho.
A man was driving a Toyota Camry in the HOV lane when police said he hit the median. As the man got out of his car to tie up his bumper, police said he was struck by a Ford SUV.
Nassau County Police Det. Lt. Richard Lebrun said the impact pushed both the vehicle and the occupant into the roadway. That's when police said the man was hit again by a Nissan Altima, the car dragging him nearly a half mile.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
"He made that choice to exit his vehicle," said Lebrun. "It was a very, very tragic chain of events."
Robert Sinclair of AAA New York said getting out of your car on a highway is never a good idea.
"The driver could have and should have easily just driven to the next exit to inspect the damage," he told CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff. "A highway is no place to be in the middle of trying to check out a vehicle."
In the event of a crash, police advise getting the car off the road and if that's not possible, turn on flashers and stay in the car and call for help.
Meanwhile, police said charges are pending against the 34-year-old driver of the Ford, who was taken into custody as part of a driving while intoxicated investigation.
The driver of the Nissan stayed at the scene and so far, no charges have been filed.
Eastbound lanes of the LIE between exits 40 and 42 were closed for hours as police investigated the crash, but they later reopened.
The names of the victim and the other drivers has not been released.
