Police Investigating Hit-and-Run on Montauk Highway

Suffolk Police are searching for a vehicle that allegedly hit two cars at the light at Strong Avenue and Montauk Highway late on Sunday night and fled the scene.

Cops said two vehicles were stopped side by side at a light on Montauk at Strong on the border of Lindenhurst and Copiague when a vehicle tried to drive between them, striking both cars, at 10:50 p.m.

Two people were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip by the Copiague Fire Department's Rescue Squad with minor injuries, police said. 

Meanwhile, the vehicle that allegedly caused the accident fled the scene, and the police are looking for the driver, officials said.

Bob Arciero, an Amityville resident who was driving one of the two cars that were hit, described what happened in an e-mail on Monday to Lindenhurst Patch.

"Mine was one of two cars struck [from behind] while waiting at the red light Westbound on Montauk by a speeding vehicle. Luckily, I only received a glancing blow, but the car in the lane next to me had its trunk crushed in, and at least two of the occupants of that vehicle were taken to the hospital. An eyewitness who was behind us attempted to chase down the fleeing driver to no avail," Arciero wrote.

He said the eyewitness was someone who was behind the fleeing vehicle.

"He said he chased him for a couple of miles, but lost him when the fleeing vehicles ran several red lights. He [the eyewitness] then returned to the scene," Arciero wrote.

Neither Arciero nor the police identified the eyewitness.

Police couldn't comment as to why or how the driver of the vehicle that fled the scene managed to attempt to drive between the two cars that were hit since it's an on-going investigation.

"Leaving the scene of car accidents are investigated by Precinct Crime Section officers. I cannot comment at this time other than to say that it's an active investigation, and that police are following up on all available leads," Inspector Gerard Gigante, commanding officer of the SCPD's First Precinct told Patch in an e-mail on Monday.

Police also didn't release the makes or models of the cars involved, though Arciero said he was driving a VW Passat and the other car that was hit was a convertible with female occupants.

He also said he "believes the fleeing vehicle was a dark, SUV-type of vehicle."

Anyone with information about the August 12 accident is requested to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS or the First Precinct Crime Section at 631-854-8130.

Receive updates to this story and other breaking news in your inbox or smartphone by signing up for our newsletter here.