A 32-year-old woman from Centerport, Long Island, is anticipated to face charges following a devastating wrong-way collision that resulted in the death of her 9-year-old son and injuries to several others. The incident occurred early Thursday morning when the woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, was reportedly driving a 2022 Mitsubishi SUV in the wrong direction on the Southern State Parkway near Exit 42 in Islip.
According to authorities, the woman disregarded a Suffolk County deputy sheriff’s attempt to stop her vehicle and accelerated moments before the catastrophic four-vehicle crash. Major Stephen J. Udice of the New York State Police confirmed that the woman was subjected to a field sobriety test at the scene, but the results have not been made public. Charges against her are currently pending.
The woman is also suspected of having driven in the wrong direction on Sunrise Highway, approximately five miles from the crash site, prior to the accident. The collision was described as severe and head-on, causing extensive damage to the vehicles involved.
The impact of the crash was so powerful that the engine of the wrong-way vehicle was propelled a considerable distance into the woods near the crash site. The 9-year-old boy was extracted from the back seat of the SUV by the deputy sheriff and a New York state trooper.
The first responders provided immediate first aid, including CPR, to the boy at the scene. He was subsequently transported to the hospital, where he tragically succumbed to his injuries. Suffolk County Deputy Undersheriff John Beck described the incident as a traumatic event for all those involved.
In addition to the young boy, the woman driving the wrong-way vehicle and the drivers of two other cars involved in the crash sustained non-life threatening injuries. The boy’s mother is currently receiving medical treatment at Good Samaritan Hospital. The identities of the woman and her son have not been released by the state police, pending notification of the family.