Teen fatally struck along LIE ramp
A stranded teenage motorist who had run out of gas was struck and killed by another vehicle last night as he was returning to his own car with a can of fuel in Dix Hills, Suffolk County police said.
Aaron Thomas, 19, of Amityville, was struck by a 2006 Chevrolet being driven by Kelly Hinlicky, 24, police said.
The accident happened along an entrance ramp from the north service road to the westbound Long Island Expressway, between exits 52 and 51, about 8 p.m.
Thomas had gone to a gas station near Commack Road to get fuel before being struck, police said. He was pronounced dead at Huntington Hospital a short time later.
The westbound expressway between exits 52 and 51 was closed for several hours as police investigated. Police impounded both vehicles.
Experts say driving a vehicle until it runs out of gas is dangerous. The vehicle can be abruptly immobilized in the roadway, the driver can be struck by other vehicles, or both, according to AAA, the automobile association.
"Power steering and brakes can be lost when the engine dies, and drivers can end up stranded in the middle of a busy highway without the ability to move their vehicle," AAA official John Nielsen said on the group's website.
With the rising price of gas, AAA has reported seeing more motorists driving their vehicles until their fuel tanks are empty.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
