Police: Ronkonkoma man dies while unloading car in Stony Brook

A man unloading a collectible car from a vehicle carrier outside a home in Stony Brook died Wednesday night when the rig shifted, pinning him underneath, officials said.

Suffolk County police said that Jeremy Van Bemmelen, 30, of Ronkonkoma, was killed when he opened the door to a car carrier storage trailer outside a house on Beacon Hill Drive just before 9 p.m. -- and the car, which was on an incline, "rolled on top of him."

Police initially said the incident occurred about 10 p.m.

Photos from the scene show the car, which appears to be a mid-1960s Dodge Charger, on the ramp, which is extended halfway out of the carrier.

Bemmelen, who was extricated by the Stony Brook Fire Department, died at the scene, police said.

Police said the investigation is continuing.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”