Police: Driver injured after hitting Smithtown's bull statue

A driver was seriously injured after hitting the base of Smithtown’s Whisper the Bull statue Monday morning, Suffolk County police said.

Police said the man was taken to a hospital after the 2:30 a.m. single vehicle crash. Police did not identify the driver or the hospital.

The 14-foot, 5-ton statue of Whisper at the intersection of Route 25 and Route 25A commemorates a version of the town’s origins, when settler Richard Smythe is reported to have ridden a bull by that name around 54 square miles to carve out the town’s boundaries.

Town spokeswoman Nicole Garguilo wrote in a text message that the collision caused “minor damage” to the area around the bull. A nearby menorah and Christmas sign were also damaged.

“Thank God the individual in care was not fatally injured,” Garguilo said.

She said the wreck capped a "really upsetting couple of days” in Smithtown that included a boy's bike getting stolen and thieves taking Christmas presents from a home. A local group, Smithtown Moms, replaced the gifts, Garguilo said.

Police are investigating the crash and ask anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.