School bus driver in Amityville oil tanker crash dies

A school bus and oil tank truck collided on Sunrise... — A school bus and oil tank truck collided on Sunrise Highway in Amityville on Monday. The driver died in the hospital on Wednesday. (Oct. 25, 2010) Credit: James Carbone

By JOHN VALENTIjohn.valenti@newsday.comOctober 27, 2010

The driver of a school bus that collided with an oil tanker Monday morning on Sunrise Highway in Amityville died yesterday of his injuries, Suffolk County police said.

Piters Calixte, 56, of Westbury, died at Stony Brook University Medical Center, where he had been in critical condition since being airlifted from the crash site early Monday.

The crash occurred on westbound Sunrise, just east of Route 110, at about 6:45 a.m.

Police said the tanker truck was pulling out of a lot and the bus, which had no passengers, crashed into the tank trailer. It took about an hour for police and fire officials to extricate Calixte.

Calixte was headed to pick up students in Massapequa when the crash occurred.

The bus was owned by Educational Bus Transportation in Copiague. The tanker, which is owned by Terrace Transport of Staten Island, was carrying 5,700 gallons of waste oil.

The driver of the tanker, Gabino Villegas, 48, of Elizabeth, N.J., was not hurt.