A construction worker is dead and another remains hospitalized in critical condition after a vehicle plowed into a road crew working at the intersection of Townline Road and Terry Road in Nesconset early Monday morning. Suffolk County Police say a third worker suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash, which also sent the driver into custody as investigators try to determine what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene at 6:43 a.m. Monday after a 911 caller reported multiple pedestrians struck, according to CBS New York. The three men were contractors working on a paving project for Suffolk County, and police say all three were male construction workers struck by the same vehicle at the intersection, as first reported by FOX 5 New York.
Firefighters from the Smithtown Fire Department and Nesconset Fire Department treated the injured workers at the scene before transporting the survivors to Stony Brook University Hospital, the region's primary Level 1 trauma center, according to the same outlet's report. One worker was pronounced dead at the hospital, while a second suffered traumatic leg injuries and was hospitalized in critical condition; the third worker's injuries were described as non-life-threatening. Police have not released the names of the victims or the driver, and the report notes that Suffolk County Police have declined to share those identities.
Vehicle Crashed Through Fence Before Stopping Beneath Tree
Aerial footage captured the aftermath of the crash, showing that the vehicle involved crashed through a roadside fence before coming to rest beneath a tree near the intersection, an area officers then cordoned off with crime scene tape, per the same CBS New York report. A male driver was taken into custody following the crash, though what led up to the collision has not been determined. Police have said the cause of the crash was not immediately known.
Major Roadway Closed During Morning Commute
Suffolk County Police shut down Townline Road to all traffic between Terry Road and Lantern Lane during the height of the morning commute as crash reconstruction teams worked the scene, according to Newsday. Commuters were urged to avoid the arterial stretch while investigators processed the site. Townline Road is a county-designated roadway that falls under the infrastructure jurisdiction of the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, according to information published by the Town of Huntington.
Work Zone Safety Laws and a Troubling Trend on Long Island
The crash underscores long-standing concerns about driver behavior around active work zones across the region. Under New York's Move Over Law, codified as Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1144-a, drivers approaching stopped roadside hazard or construction vehicles with active lights are legally required to change lanes or slow down, facing fines up to $150 for a first offense and up to $450 for repeat violations, according to Ronald S. Cook PC. The state expanded that law in March 2024 to require drivers to change lanes or reduce speed near any stopped or disabled vehicle on a highway shoulder, extending protections beyond emergency crews to cover all motorists, per the New York State Thruway Authority.
Statewide, official safety data recorded 572 work zone crashes on New York roadways in 2025, resulting in 87 injuries and three fatalities among highway workers and vehicle occupants, according to figures published by New York State. Long Island in particular has struggled with work zone speed compliance: during the initial rollout of the state's Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program, the region recorded 41,709 speed camera notices of liability, accounting for nearly one-third of all DOT-monitored work zone speed violations statewide, according to the USA Today Network.
Investigators have not said whether toxicology or distracted driving played any role in Monday's crash, and no charges against the driver in custody have been announced. Suffolk County Police continue to investigate the collision as crash reconstruction teams work to determine exactly what caused the vehicle to leave the road and strike the crew.
