Clues sought in deadly minibus crash

It was still unclear why a tractor-trailer carrying a load of gravel overturned on a Baiting Hollow road before colliding with a minibus, killing one passenger and injuring eight others, police said yesterday.

Brian Costello, 36, was pronounced dead after Wednesday afternoon's crash, police said. Costello was one of seven passengers -- six special-needs adults and a staff member -- on the minibus from Maryhaven Center of Hope in Port Jefferson. The drivers of the minibus and tractor-trailer were also injured in the 3:08 p.m. crash.

Police said Costello, who was wearing a seat belt, was killed after the trailer section of the rig slammed into the side of the bus. Costello lived in Mount Sinai, said Brian O'Dwyer, an attorney for his family.

O'Dwyer said the family was "too distraught" to speak yesterday and "simply devastated" by Costello's death.

Police said the bus, driven by Gary Rosset, 61, of Ridge, was traveling west on Sound Avenue as the tractor-trailer was going east. According to the Riverhead police, the tractor-trailer driver lost control, began to overturn and slammed into the bus.

The truck driver, Robert Converse Jr., 54, of Bellport, has not been charged but the investigation is ongoing, said Det. Sgt. Joseph Loggia of Riverhead police.

"He was just not sure what happened," Loggia said. "The truck just started tipping. We're looking into what might have caused it."

Police said none of those hurt sustained life-threatening injuries. Some were treated and released from local hospitals.

The truck, carrying a load of gravel, was owned by Gap Leasing of East Moriches. It cleared a post-crash inspection without any violations, Loggia said.

Gap Leasing Corp. has five tractors and six drivers. The company has had at least one other truck crash that involved an injury in the last 24 months, according to records kept by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; that was on Feb. 15, 2010, on Route 27 in Suffolk County.

During an inspection on July 8, 2009, inspectors found violations on a truck that included a lack of a proper fire extinguisher, insufficient warning devices and failure to display a carrier name or registration.

Visitation for Costello is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at O.B. Davis Funeral Home, 4839 Nesconset Highway in Port Jefferson Station. A funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Infant Jesus Church, 110 Myrtle Ave. in Port Jefferson.

Maryhaven serves more than 2,000 people with its programs and operates 25 adult homes, the company's website stated.

With Jennifer Maloney