Traffic on William Floyd Parkway in Shirley came to a standstill Saturday afternoon after a reckless driver caused a 12-car chain-reaction crash, then attempted to flee the scene, police said.
According to Suffolk County Police, Walter Goya Trujillo, 33, of Bay Shore, slammed his 2012 Jeep into traffic stopped in the northbound lanes near Montauk Highway around 2:40 p.m. The impact set off a massive pileup, ultimately damaging 11 other vehicles in addition to Trujillo’s Jeep.
Witnesses said Trujillo fled on foot but was quickly caught by Suffolk officers. He and other drivers were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Mastic Fire Department and EMS were first to respond, calling in neighboring departments due to the scope of the crash. Fire officials said as many as 14 patients were evaluated at the scene, with at least four taken to hospitals. Crews worked for hours to clear wreckage from the busy thoroughfare.
The northbound lanes of William Floyd Parkway remained closed well into the evening as police conducted a crime-scene investigation and tow trucks removed damaged vehicles. Traffic delays stretched across the area, affecting one of Brookhaven Town’s heaviest-traveled roads.
“It was complete chaos when we got here,” one first responder said. “Multiple cars, multiple injuries, and people shaken up everywhere.”
Parkway motorists in Shirley have suffered persistent congestion in the area, which could have been alleviated by a proposed bridge over Montauk Highway, a project rejected by the Suffolk Legislature in the early 1980s.
Trujillo was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a crash with injuries and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage. He was expected to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip.
Police are asking anyone with additional information about the crash to contact the Seventh Squad at 631-852-8752.