Hempstead worker trapped in sand spreader

The blizzard became a gruesome ordeal for a Town of Hempstead employee who was trapped undiscovered for hours in the freezing snow after his arm was caught in a sand-spreading machine as he worked alone in a vacant town lot, Nassau police and Town of Hempstead officials said. He was one of many on Long Island who suffered storm-related equipment injuries, officials said.

The 46-year-old highway department employee, whom authorities would not name, had been loading sand into a spreader about 12:30 a.m. Monday when his right arm became entangled in the machine. Unable to call for help, and alone in the Wantagh lot, the worker had to wait for 31/2 hours outside before a town truck returned to the lot at 4 a.m. and discovered him.

The worker was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, where he was listed in stable condition. Through a hospital representative, he declined an interview.

Town Supervisor Kate Murray visited the employee at the hospital Monday, said town spokesman Mike Deery.

"Highway work is very dangerous work," Deery said. "Any time you have hundreds of people doing a job that's very, very dangerous, injuries, unfortunately, come with the territory."

Nassau County authorities said more than a dozen residents were rushed to emergency rooms for treatment of equipment mishaps that included injured arms and legs, mangled hands and crushed or amputated fingers.

A news conference was scheduled for noon Tuesday by Dennis Dunne, the Nassau County Legislature Public Safety Committee chairman, at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola to acquaint the public with the incidents and dangers.

A 34-year-old Mineola man had two fingers severed by a snowblower he was attempting to fix Monday morning, Nassau police said. Because emergency crews were hampered by the snowdrifts that covered many roads, Nassau police, using a four-wheel-drive vehicle, navigated the road, picked up the man and took him to Winthrop-University Hospital. Nassau police did not have information on his condition.

In Baldwin, a 51-year-old woman walking through the grounds of Baldwin Senior High School got stuck in the snow. Nassau police received the call at 10:24 a.m. Monday, and extricated her from the chilly snowdrift by 11 a.m. She was taken to the hospital for observation.

But most police activity revolved around downed power lines and trees, snowdrifts that covered the roads and streets that refused to remain plowed.

State Trooper James Parris said stranded cars littered the ramps along the region's parkways.

"We try to get tow trucks to pull the cars out of the snow, but some of the tow trucks can't even get in there," Parris said. "As soon as one car gets stuck, it blocks the entire ramp, and plows can't go through."

Suffolk Executive Steve Levy said there were about 250 fender-benders in the county, with about 30 minor injuries reported. About 50 accidents were reported in Nassau, said County Executive Edward Mangano.

"The biggest obstacle was stranded motorists and abandoned cars that impeded operations a bit," he said. "We helped a lot of motorists out to get our lanes cleared so we could plow."

With Ben Wieder and Bill Mason