3 injured as LIRR train hits livery cab in Wyandanch

A Long Island Rail Road train hit a livery cab on the tracks west of Wyandanch station Wednesday, injuring two occupants in the car and a train engineer, LIRR officials said.

The male driver of the Lincoln Town Car was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip and a female passenger was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena said. The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

The engineer was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore with a shoulder injury, Arena said.

MTA police are investigating how the livery cab got onto the tracks at the crossing on Straight Path, where the accident occurred. The crossing gates were down at the time, Arena said.

The train, carrying 500 passengers, was heading east from Penn Station, due at Ronkonkoma at 1:37 p.m. when the accident happened about 1:20 p.m., according to the LIRR.

After the accident, service on the line was suspended in both directions between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale until shortly after 3 p.m., the railroad said.

Two of the train's cars reached the platform moments after the vehicle was hit, so passengers were able to leave the train by walking through the train to reach the platform.

Buses were ordered to transport them.

With Gary Dymski

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.