Sheriffs: Teens hurt in crash were ejected

Two 17-year-old girls probably were not wearing seat belts when they were seriously injured Wednesday night in an accident on Sunrise Highway in Center Moriches, authorities said.

Rebecca Henderson of Medford and Kelly Semon of North Patchogue were ejected when the 1997 Jeep Wrangler they were in, traveling westbound near Exit 59, crossed the median, flipped and landed in the eastbound lanes about 7:15 p.m., Suffolk County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Michael Sharkey said.

Henderson was flown by helicopter to Stony Brook University Medical Center, where a hospital spokeswoman said she was in stable condition Thursday night. Semon was taken by ambulance to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center and Thursday night was being transferred to Stony Brook, where a hospital spokeswoman said she was being evaluated

Sharkey said Semon was driving at the time of the accident.

He said a preliminary investigation suggests neither Henderson nor Semon was wearing a seat belt. "Both were ejected from the vehicle and they would not have been ejected if they were wearing seat belts," he said.

Sharkey also said investigators were awaiting the results of blood tests from both girls to determine whether alcohol was involved.

Sharkey could not say if excessive speed was a factor, adding that accident reconstruction would determine reasons for the crash.