PLAINVIEW, N.Y. (WCBS 880) – An 89-year-old man was killed Tuesday night when his SUV was rear-ended and burst into flames on the Long Island Expressway, Suffolk County police said.
The victim was behind the wheel of a 1999 Ford Explorer stopped on the westbound HOV lane of the expressway, near exit 48 in Plainview, when his vehicle was struck around 11:30 p.m.
A 2018 Kia Sportage headed westbound on the expressway crashed into the back of the Ford, which became engulfed in flames.
The man inside the Ford, only described as an 89-year-old from Oceanside, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Kia, said to be a 36-year-old man from Miller Place, was taken to an area hospital. He suffered a head laceration and was in stable condition.
Police said an investigation into the crash is ongoing. They haven’t said why the victim may have stopped his SUV in the HOV lane.