Nassau police investigate an crash that closed all westbound lanes...

Nassau police investigate an crash that closed all westbound lanes on the Long Island Expressway at Exit 40 in Jericho on Friday. Credit: Howard Schnapp

A 30-year-old man operating a tow truck caused a nearly three-hour closure of the Long Island Expressway in Jericho after the truck collided with the center median and caught fire late Friday morning, Nassau police said.

 The 2021 Flatbed tow truck, which was heading west near Exit 40 when the crash happened at 11:20 a.m., had been carrying two unoccupied vehicles, one of which flipped over onto the opposite side of the LIE and caught fire, Nassau police said in a news release Saturday.

Sixth Precinct officers arrived at the scene and removed the truck driver, who was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, police said. No other injuries were reported. The fires were extinguished and all lanes of traffic were reopened Friday afternoon, police said.

Nassau County police said Friday that all eastbound lanes and all westbound lanes had been closed between Exits 40 and 41 — and traffic cameras in the area showed westbound traffic backed up and at a standstill as emergency responders hosed down a vehicle smashed against the center median.

Police, fire and ambulance crews also had been at the scene.

With John Valenti

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