Southern State crash injures 2, including officer, cops say

A Suffolk County First Precinct police officer, responding to assist at a crash scene on the Southern State Parkway, was injured in a crash with another vehicle Friday, police said.

The crash, just east of Exit 36, Straight Path, forced the closure of the eastbound parkway for about two hours.

The crash occurred just after 7 a.m., police said.

State Police patrol state parkways, including the Southern State.

Suffolk police said the officer was responding to assist with traffic control at an accident in the area and had “his lights and sirens on” at a turnaround cut through the center median when the second crash occurred about a half-mile west of Exit 37, Belmont Avenue, in West Babylon. Police said the accident occurred when the driver of a Honda Accord swerved to avoid a Dodge Durango, which had slowed down, and broadsided the police car, which then struck the Durango.

The officer and driver of the Honda were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the Durango was not injured.

State Police said that earlier traffic had been diverted onto Straight Path in Wyandanch.

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.”