Tow operators would have to clean up accident scenes under Suffolk bill

The Suffolk County Legislature on Wednesday passed a bill to require tow trucks to clean up debris from motor vehicle crash sites to ensure roadways remain safe and that wreckage does not lead to more accidents.

The measure would require tow truck drivers to remove glass shards, car pieces, road flares and other debris following crashes.

The legislation, introduced by Legis. Nicholas Caracappa (C-Selden), is intended to keep roadways safer, a bipartisan group of legislators said during a news conference Wednesday the William H. Rogers building in Hauppauge.

The legislature later voted 18-0 for the measure.

Aides to County Executive Steve Bellone, a Democrat, could not be reached immediately for comment about whether he would sign the bill.

“Far too often there are not only glass and debris from the vehicles, but sometimes there are bumpers and very large pieces of motor vehicles left in the roadway,” Caracappa said at the news conference.

“What's left behind after motor vehicle accidents may result in a flat tire or something … [that] can be deadly,” Caracappa said.

Suffolk Police Deputy Chief of Patrol Michael Romagnoli, speaking during the news conference, said the county has had about 25,000 accidents so far this year and averages about 800 per week.

The legislation would require tow truck drivers to carry items such as shovels, brooms, containers and liquid-absorbing substances to clean up crash scenes.

If there is an excess of oil or toxic substances, the tow truck can seek assistance from local fire departments or hazmat teams.

The law also applies to tow truck drivers employed by the county.

Four tow truck companies surveyed by Newsday on Wednesday said they already clean up accident scenes and that the new law would not change how they operate.

Mike Walsh, a manager at Smithwest Towing and Recovery in Smithtown, said drivers are often asked by authorities on the scene to remove debris and absorb oil or other liquids from the scene.

“I was under the impression that it was already required,” he said.

Caracappa said county law is unclear on the cleanup issue.

His legislation would codify what is required and institute a $100 to $500 fine for violators.

Legislators noted pieces of wreckage can be upsetting reminders of tragedy.

Legis. Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon), the minority leader, referred to an October 2021 accident in Wyandanch in which 30-year-old Jennifer Figueroa was killed, and her 11-year-old daughter was injured seriously.

After the accident, family members and school district officials reached out to the county asking that the refuse be cleared properly, Richberg said.

The legislation “might seem small, but that will mean so much to someone who is a survivor of an accident,” Richberg said.

Also Thursday:

• Lawmakers voted 18-0 to acquire a Brentwood parcel to serve as a community hub that will incorporate the region’s first stand-alone offshore wind training center. The center, funded through a $10 million grant from offshore wind developers Orsted and Eversource and their Sunrise Wind project, would have a 22-year license agreement with Suffolk.
• The legislature set an Oct. 11 hearing date for a bill sponsored by Legis. Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) to prohibit county police officers from engaging in political activity. That would include serving on a political committees, running for office and soliciting signatures for nominating petitions.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.