Wrongway driver critical after Melville crash

A Babylon woman driving southbound in the northbound lanes of Pinelawn Road in Melville was critically injured in a collision with a tractor-trailer late Thursday, Suffolk County police said.

Koren Tanner, 31, of Gwynn Street, Babylon, was airlifted via police helicopter to Stony Brook University Medical Center in critical condition.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, Everth Escobar, 31, of Falls Church, Va., was uninjured in the crash, which took place near Marcus Drive.

The crash occurred at 10:25 p.m. just south of Colonial Springs Road — near the Newsday building and the national cemetery. Police said it is unclear why Tanner was driving her 1999 Nissan Maxima the wrong way on the multi-lane road, which is divided by a wide center island in the immediate area.

The force of the collision with the 2001 Volvo tractor-trailer destroyed the front end of the Nissan and emergency responders from the Melville Fire Department used heavy-rescue tools to cut into what was left of the car in order to extricate Tanner, who was pinned in the wreckage, local fire officials said. The department had 40 volunteers and emergency services personnel on site — with three fire engines, three ambulances and a heavy rescue truck.

Melville Fire Chief Robert Warren said Escobar, the driver of the tractor trailer, declined medical attention.

The accident closed the road for hours in both directions.

The Maxima was impounded for a safety check and the tractor trailer was examined at the scene by the Suffolk County Police Motor Safety Carrier Unit, police said. The investigation remains on-going, police said.

Detectives are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to call the Second Squad at 631-854-8252 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.