A Mack truck making a right turn onto Sunrise Highway in Lynbrook Monday struck a man in a wheelchair, causing one of his legs to be amputated.
Witnesses at the scene say the victim, described as a Hispanic man in his sixties, was crossing Sunrise Highway northbound in his motorized chair using the crosswalk and its signal. (He was on his way to visit a relative working at the nearby lumber yard on Ocean Avenue, according to a witness.) The truck driver apparently didn't see him though and as he was making a right turn off of Ocean Avenue and onto the westbound side of Sunrise, he hit the man.
The truck amputated the victim's leg upon impact but he remained strapped in his chair, according to one eyewitness who was consoling the still-conscious-man as police and EMTs treated him at the scene. He was transported via a Nassau County Police Medevac helicopter to Nassau University Medical Center with multiple leg fractures and head trauma.
The current status of his condition is not known at this time.
Police shut down westbound traffic on Sunrise Highway, where Crime Scene detectives were called in to investigate, and Ocean Avenue from Sunrise to Merrick Road. As of 4 p.m., these roads were still closed.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
His cell phone should be checked as there is almost no enforcement of these rules re cell use in Lynbrook or anywhere else in Nassau and Suffolk county. No surprise car accident deaths are up 13% last year.
Seems like there only money for teacher and police. As usual public safety does not rate?
Actually the intersection of Sunrise & Ocean has had its fair share of accidents too - though not as many as Ocean & Merrick. However, for pedestrians - the crosswalk on Sunrise Hwy is a real danger - as so many drivers don't pay attention to pedestrian traffic there. I agree with your statement that stricter enforcement of the laws governing cell phone usage (calling & texting, etc.) is needed because the public's general lack of compliance is outrageous. I would, however, beg to differ with you regarding your negative focus on teachers and police. A rhetorical question comes to mind - Why is it that these two professions have become public punching bags, esp. teachers? Seems like quite a few people automatically blame these two groups whenever they can slip it into the conversation - whether the issue has anything to do with them or not!
As for what the board would do, from what I have heard from both the Mayor and all the board members is that they told the owner as long as he got the neighbors to agree on the project for one house they could easily push it through for the other two.
-- Matthew Hogan Associate Regional Editor
@Lisette.....so happy to hear you grandfather is doing better. I wish him and your family the best. I'm sorry to have gotten so off track, but it was just so annoying to see @Impaul using this tragedy to voice his ZONING opinions!!!!
At this point - I will continue my point of view within the context of the letter to the editor regarding the zoning change originally appearing July 11th, for anyone might be interested. I have, therefore, copied and pasted all comments from this thread on the page associated with the link I posted above - yesterday afternoon. Shalom.
if any consolation, i read all of ur comments and its clear enough for me that you weren't trying to inject anything improper. i see it as u providing nother possible contributeing factor to the problems people face crossing sunrise. /////////////////////////////// @lisette - its great to hear that ur grandfather is doing better, i'll be sure to join everyone else in praying for his recovery
i def agree with u janey but im sorry as i dont feel she deserves being treated so polite. im so sick and tired of people like her.
Edgar Maldonado Guerra