Long Island Expressway Closed After 35-Vehicles Chain Reaction Crash VIDEO/IMAGES

Yesterday afternoon, December 19th, an accident involving 35 vehicles took place on the Long Island Expressway in New York.

According to the Suffolk County police the Long Island Expressway was closed in both directions immediately after the accident, which left one woman dead and 33 other persons injured. Police says that Raymond Simoneau was driving a tractor-trailer eastbound carrying storm debris when it hit several cars. The accident immediately caused a chain-reaction crash in the town of Shirley, situated about 70 miles east of New York City.

The tractor-trailer and two other vehicles caught fire, but fire fighters managed to quickly extinguish it. A woman driving a Toyota Camry eastbound died during the crash, while the injured were immediately taken to area hospitals. The crash, which took place at about 2:38 p.m., is still under investigation. A total of 35 vehicles were involved in the crash, some of them suffering extensive damage. Police Deputy Inspector Kevin Fallon said the eastbound lanes of the roadway, connecting suburban Long Island neighborhoods with New York City, will be closed until Thursday morning.

“Anybody rolling up on this scene you would think there would be definitely more than just one fatality,” said John Mirando, chief of the Ridge Fire Department. “It’s just lucky that it’s only one, but it could have been a lot worse.”