Belle Terre constable helps pull 3 people from burning wreck, police say

By Maureen Mullarkeymaureen.mullarkey@newsday.comUpdated November 25, 2024

Three people who were seriously injured after their sport utility vehicle struck a tree and caught fire Sunday night were pulled to safety by a Belle Terre constable, Suffolk County police said.

About 10:20 p.m., a 19-year-old was driving a 2017 Kia Sportage on Cliff Road between Homestead Road and Bell Circle when the vehicle veered off the road, struck a tree, and caught fire. The constable, who was first to arrive at the scene, helped extricate the driver and two passengers from the vehicle, police said.

The Port Jefferson Fire Department extinguished the blaze.

The driver and the two passengers, both 20, were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries, police said.

Police initially said the constable was from Port Jefferson and that the crash occurred there, as opposed to Belle Terre, a neighboring village.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652.

By Maureen Mullarkey

maureen.mullarkey@newsday.com

Maureen Mullarkey is a breaking news reporter at Newsday. She previously worked as a reporter for Patch, where she covered a range of Long Island stories on topics such as the Diocese of Rockville Centre bankruptcy and the Babylon School District abuse scandals.