Police

Cops: Woman airlifted following LIE crash

(Credit: Jen Nuzzo)
The van spun across three lanes of traffic on the LIE before crashing into the woods Tuesday. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)

A woman was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center after a Honda van crashed into the woods off the Long Island Expressway Tuesday afternoon, Suffolk County police said. 

The woman suffered lacerations to her head and she was feeling abdominal pain, police at the scene said. The extent of her injuries was not immediately clear.

The woman was one of five people in the car, including two kids, who were en route to Tanger Outlets in Riverhead. She was the only one who was seriously injured. Riverhead and Manorville Fire Departments and Ambulance crews helped extract the woman from the van.

Police said the van was headed east on the LIE just west of Exit 71 when the driver was cut off by another vehicle shortly before 6 p.m., causing the van to slam into the guardrail at the center median and spin across three lanes and into the woods. No other vehicles were struck as the van spun across the road.

The eastbound LIE was briefly closed to allow for the airlift.

A Suffolk County Police helicopter landed on the eastbound LIE to transport the victim of a crash Tuesday. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)
A Suffolk County Police helicopter landed on the eastbound LIE to transport the victim of a crash Tuesday. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)