Ambulette driver dies after crash

The driver of an ambulette involved in a Wyandanch crash that killed a patient has died of his injuries, Suffolk County police said.

Gerard Gruenthal, 56, of North Babylon was pronounced dead at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, police said.

A passenger in the ambulette, Michelle Garrett, 53, of West Babylon, had been pronounced dead at the hospital at 1:45 p.m. Monday, about 75 minutes after the ambulette collided with a flatbed truck on Straight Path at Wyandanch Avenue.

She was the only patient in the vehicle and was being taken home after treatment for lymphedema at Stony Brook University Medical Center, police and her family said.

The driver of the truck, Lynn Godwin, 42, of Copiague, was in serious condition at Stony Brook University Medical Center.

The state Department of Transportation, which conducts twice-yearly safety inspections on ambulettes, checked the vehicle and "did not find any defect that would have contributed to the crash," agency spokeswoman Eileen Peters said.

Det. Sgt. Marco Giudice of the First Precinct said police were still investigating the cause of the crash.

"We are still trying to establish the pre-accident activities of both vehicles," he said. "We're still seeking witnesses who might help us get a clearer picture of how this happened."

Giudice said drugs and alcohol had been ruled out as factors in the accident. He urged anyone with information about the crash to call the First Squad at 631-854-8152.