Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A 45-year-old Flushing man was airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries following a three-vehicle chain reaction crash on Route 25A in Shoreham Saturday morning, according to Suffolk County Police.
Jianhua Zhou was operating a 2014 Toyota Sienna eastbound on Route 25A when the vehicle struck the rear of a 2010 Ford Transit at 9:32 a.m. on May 9, police said. The impact caused the Ford to leave the roadway and strike several trees near Defense Hill Road, according to Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives who are investigating the crash.
After the initial rear-end collision, Zhou’s Toyota continued eastbound and struck a westbound 2023 Ford, police reported. Zhou sustained serious injuries in the multi-vehicle crash and was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment.
The driver of the 2010 Ford Transit, Lawrence Lederer, 36, of Miller Place, and his passenger, Bryan Wilson, 37, of Rocky Point, were uninjured in the collision, according to police. The driver of the 2023 Ford, Piotr Ratkiewicz, 57, of Port Jefferson, was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
All three vehicles involved in the crash were impounded for a safety check, police said. The sequence of events suggests Zhou’s Toyota may have been the initiating vehicle in the chain reaction collision, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
Location & Road Context
The crash occurred on Route 25A near Defense Hill Road in Shoreham, a stretch of roadway that runs through the North Shore community in eastern Suffolk County. Route 25A serves as a major east-west arterial road connecting multiple North Shore communities and can experience heavy traffic during weekend hours.
The collision took place in an area where the Ford Transit struck trees after leaving the roadway, indicating the force of the initial rear-end impact was significant enough to push the vehicle off the travel lanes.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Suffolk County Police Seventh Squad detectives are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the three-vehicle collision. No charges have been announced at this time as the investigation remains ongoing.
Detectives are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact the Seventh Squad at 631-852-8752. The impounding of all three vehicles for safety checks suggests investigators are examining mechanical factors that may have contributed to the collision sequence.
Broader Impact
The Saturday morning timing of the crash occurred during a period when Route 25A typically experiences moderate weekend traffic as residents travel between North Shore communities. The severity of Zhou’s injuries, requiring airlift transport to Stony Brook University Hospital, underscores the serious nature of the multi-vehicle collision despite the other occupants escaping with minor or no injuries.