Valley Stream man dies after head-on crash on Sound Avenue

A 31-year-old Valley Stream man who crashed head on with a school bus on Sound Avenue in Riverhead Thursday evening has died, town police said.

According to a department press release, John Caputo, 31, of Valley Stream was driving a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee westbound when he crossed into the opposite lane and struck a Riverhead Central School District bus at approximately 4:55 p.m.

Police at the scene determined Mr. Caputo was not breathing and performed CPR before Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps arrived and transported him to Peconic Bay Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

According to police, the school bus driver, Ana Membreno Argueta, 30, of Mastic, was transported to PBMC for non-life threatening injuries. Police said there was one student on the bus, who did not report any injuries.

Witnesses at the scene Thursday evening said it “sounded like a bomb went off” as the crash occurred just as the vehicles were passing Palmer Vineyards.

Sound Avenue remained closed between Church and Phillips Lanes for several hours after the crash as town detectives responded alongside a New York State Police accident reconstruction team to investigate the crash.

Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call Riverhead police at 631-727-4500 ext. 328. Calls will be kept confidential, police said.