Middle Island man rescued from burning car
![A Middle Island man was seriously injured when he lost...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMjBjMGRlZDctZDUzNy00%3AZDctZDUzNy00ODMyM2Qy%2Fliyaph09.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D770%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
A Middle Island man was seriously injured when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree in Yaphank, police said. (March 8, 2012) Credit: James Carbone
A Middle Island man was seriously injured Wednesday night when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree in Yaphank, police said.
The crash occurred on East Main Street at 11:05 p.m., Suffolk County police said.
The driver, identified as Jonathan Pitre, 26, of West Bartlett Road, was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he was listed in serious condition, according to police.
Police said the car, a 2004 Chevrolet, was on fire when the first officers arrived and found Pitre unconscious in the vehicle. Officers Mark Peddycourt and Christopher Costa of the Seventh Precinct Crime Section pulled Pitre from the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames, police said.
The blaze was extinguished by firefighters from the Yaphank Fire Department.
![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AZGJhNWE1YTQtNmNmYS00%3AZWJkZjJiNjMtMmY5YS00%2F0828shark1-jpg.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D770%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
'Beneath the Surface': A look at the rise in shark sightings off LI shores It seems shark sightings are dominating headlines on Long Island and researchers are on a quest to find out why more sharks are showing up in Long Island waters. NewsdayTV meteorologist Rich Von Ohlen discusses how to stay safe.
![](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AZGJhNWE1YTQtNmNmYS00%3AZWJkZjJiNjMtMmY5YS00%2F0828shark1-jpg.jpg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D770%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
'Beneath the Surface': A look at the rise in shark sightings off LI shores It seems shark sightings are dominating headlines on Long Island and researchers are on a quest to find out why more sharks are showing up in Long Island waters. NewsdayTV meteorologist Rich Von Ohlen discusses how to stay safe.