Man Dies In 5-Vehicle Crash Involving Garbage Truck, School Bus: SCPD

TOWN OF ISLIP, NY — A man was killed in a "horrific" five-vehicle crash at an intersection in the Town of Islip on Monday morning, Suffolk police said.

A 2023 Mack garbage truck was traveling eastbound on Express Drive South at about 8:50 a.m.when it rear ended a 2019 Honda Accord that was stopped at a red light at the intersection of Motor Parkway, police said.

The truck then sideswiped a 2018 Thomas Built School Bus, and then rear-ended a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Jeep became lodged in the front of the garbage truck, and the Jeep struck a 2009 Toyota Matrix, causing the Toyota to spin into a utility pole.

The driver of the Honda Accord, Joseph Kelly, 24, of West Islip, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The drivers of the Jeep and Toyota were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the bus and three toddlers on the bus were not injured, police said. The driver of the truck was not injured, but was issued multiple summonses, police said.

The crash happened at an intersection near Hauppauge, Islandia, Central Islip and Brentwood, according to 511 NY.

Christina Raptis, of Commack, told Patch she was on her way to a doctor's appointment when she witnessed the scene of the accident.

She had just gotten off of Exit 57 when she noticed the congestion of vehicles going into a gas station parking lot to avoid the crash.

When she herself drove into the gas station parking lot, she saw a woman who was "hysterical."

"I thought maybe that she was that she needed something, maybe she was involved in the crash," said Raptis.

To her horror, the woman indicated that another person had been killed, and motioned to the road.

"It was that poor man," said Raptis. ""It was horrible — absolutely horrible — to see somebody like that."

Police had not yet arrived at the scene, so Raptis said she called 911.

"The woman (911 operator) couldn't understand me because I was hysterical," she said.

Raptis also told Patch that the pile-up of cars was so bad that the deceased man's car "didn't look like a car anymore", and that traffic was forced to travel on the opposite side to go around the crash.

"I've been I've been commuting back and forth to Queens for 16 years. I'm a teacher. I've seen a million car accidents," Raptis said. "I'll never forget it as long as I live."

She also said that while she is in shock now, she will "eventually" be okay and is thinking of the man's family.

"They lost their son, their brother, their friend," she said. "I'm traumatized, of course I am. But they're going to be so much more."

The truck and three vehicles were impounded for a safety check. Anyone with information on this crash is asked to contact Fourth Squad detectives at 631-854-8452.