Cops probe cause of Amityville crash involving bus, oil tanker

Suffolk County police are still investigating the circumstances of an Amityville crash Monday morning in which a school bus rammed into a tanker carrying 5,700 gallons of waste oil.

Det. Lt. Robert Edwards of the First Squad said Tuesday, a day after the accident, that investigators were no closer to figuring out what happened when Piters Calixte, 56, driving an empty bus heading to pick up students in Massapequa, hit an oil tanker pulling out of a lot onto westbound Sunrise Highway.

"We haven't spoken to the bus driver, because he is still in critical condition," Edwards said. "And the driver of the tanker just said, 'I was making a turn and he hit me.' "

Calixte, freed by rescue personnel using hydraulic cutters and spreaders, remained in critical condition Wednesday at Stony Brook University Medical Center.

The driver of the tanker, Gabino Villegas, 48, of Elizabeth, N.J., was not hurt. He had just loaded waste oil from Planet Earth Recycling in Amityville and was making a right turn from the company lot onto Sunrise Highway when Calixte's bus hit the middle of the tank. No oil was spilled in the incident, police said.

Edwards said police could only speculate. Darkness could have played a part in the accident - it happened about 6:45 a.m. - and police were checking to see if Calixte might have been using his cell phone when the bus hit the tanker.

"But getting those records takes time," he said.

Edwards said police would continue to check with the hospital to see when Calixte could be interviewed, but any timetable was based on his condition.

Police did issue four minor tickets to Terrace Transportation of Staten Island, which owns the tanker, a 2001 Peterbilt, Edwards said. The violations, unrelated to the accident, include a missing sign that identifies the tanker's contents, a missing license plate and a brakes infraction, he said.

Anyone with information on the crash can call the First Squad at 631-854-8152.