Black ice makes travel treacherous, causes multiple accidents on local roads

Frost and black ice have caused treacherous conditions on local roadways early this morning, resulting in multiple motor vehicle accidents, two of them serious.

First responders called Suffolk County Police aviation to transport victims from two different accidents, one on County Road 48 in Mattituck and a second on County Road 51 in North Hampton, both apparently due to icy roadways.

There were at least six other single-vehicle accidents reported in Riverhead and Southold between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. At least two of them were rollover crashes.

A westbound vehicle spun out and overturned in the median on CR 48, just east of Mill Lane, shortly before 6:30 this morning. The two male occupants of the vehicle were injured in the crash. One was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center by Mattituck Fire Department Rescue. A second man was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital. Neither man’s injuries were life-threatening, according to police. CR 48 was closed between Elijah’s and Mill lanes due to icing and debris in the roadway.

A second MedEvac was requested for another crash on CR 51 between Lake Avenue and Speonk-Riverhead Road. Riverhead Fire Department heavy rescue was called to that crash to extricate at least one trapped occupant.

There were at least three other rollover accidents on local roads in rapid succession: one on Sound Avenue near Aldrich Lane in Laurel, another on Route 25A and Sound Avenue in Wading River and the third on Route 25 west of Fresh Pond Avenue.

No serious injuries were reported as a result of any of those accidents, but the operator of a pickup truck that crashed near Aldrich Lane walked away from the scene. Described by a witness as an elderly male, police were concerned the man might be injured and confused. Police were searching the area without result.

Another crash closed Flanders Road near Birch Creek Road this morning, the NYS Department of Transportation said in a news alert. Icing conditions and a tree down in the roadway will keep the road closed until about 10 a.m. the DOT said. No further information was immediately available about that crash.

“Motorists should reduce speed and use extreme caution on the roads,” Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said in a traffic advisory this morning.