Man hospitalized after Route 51 rollover crash
The driver of a tan Nissan Sentra was hospitalized after his car rolled over in the center median on County Road 51 in Northampton Wednesday afternoon.
Southampton Town police and Riverhead firefighters responded to the scene to extricate the man, who was the sole occupant of the car.
Police said the driver, whom they did not identify, appeared to be heading north on County Road 51 and then attempted to make a right turn onto Lake Avenue, but changed his mind at the last minute.
The car then swerved to avoid another vehicle in front of it, skidded across the grass and then rolled over and landed in the center median.
It had been raining at the time, but police say it is uncertain if that contributed to the crash.
The victim was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center via medevac helicopter for treatment of what police described as serious but non-threatening injuries. He would have normally been airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center but the helicopter headed to the nearer hospital due to the weather.
Northbound traffic on County Road 51 was diverted to Lake Avenue after the crash, allowing the helicopter to land on County Road 51.
The intersection with Lake Avenue has been the scene of many accidents, some fatal over the years.
A traffic light was installed there several years ago, but accidents continue to occur.
