Cops: Vehicle hits tree on Southern State, briefly shuts parkway

A portion of the westbound Southern State Parkway just before Deer Park Avenue was closed to traffic for about 15 minutes early Saturday after a crash in which the vehicle struck a tree, causing it to fall into the roadway, police said.

There were no reports of injuries, according to a State Police spokesman.

The spokesman said the crash happened at 1:50 a.m. and that the vehicle hit the tree, which then fell across the roadway.

Photos from the scene show a sport utility vehicle overturned on the side of the parkway.

The roadway was reopened at 2:06 a.m., but the tree was not removed and the area completely cleared until 4:50 a.m., the spokesman said.