Driver's Medical Emergency Triggers 10-Car Pileup In North Amityville
NORTH AMITYVILLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A 10-car pileup on Long Island has left several people injured and a mess all over the roadway in Suffolk County.
Authorities say a 76-year-old man suffered a medical emergency while behind the wheel on Route 110 in North Amityville early Tuesday afternoon.
CLICK HERE to check current traffic conditions.
The driver sped up at a red light on Bentley Road and never stopped before crashing and going airborne, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.
"I looked into my rearview mirror and all I see is like a car tumbling -- then all of a sudden it goes over my car, and smashes right in front of my car," one 21-year-old witness said. "A piece of his car went flying through my rear window and hit my passenger in his arm."
Authorities say nine people were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
"It was really scary, you just never think that something like that's going to happen to you," the witness said. "And then you freeze -- I froze. And everybody's jumping out of their cars -- I couldn't move I didn't know what to do."
Buddy Ficarelli's maroon car suffered rear end damage, but he wasn't hurt.
"It was shocking, and I just went to help everybody else get out of their car. There's a woman in the white Mercedes -- helped her get out, and then trying to make sense of it," he told CBS2's Hazel Sanchez.
Firefighters had to pry the Lexus driver out of his vehicle, most everyone else exited on their own.
A woman was riding in the passenger seat of her co-worker's car when she was hit in the shoulder with a heavy piece of metal debris that shot through the rear window.
"After everybody calmed down, and the ambulance left, and you just look back and you're like how do I, how did I just walk away from that?" she said.
Pieces of the ten cars involved in the crash were thrown all over the roadway.
Nine people including the Lexus driver were taken to the hospital, but all were expected to recover from their injuries.
Police said no summonses were issued. Rt 110 has been reopened to traffic.
