Two People Die on Northern State Parkway in Dix Hills

Suffolk County Police Vehicular Crime Unit detectives are investigating a two-vehicle crash that killed two people following a police pursuit early Thursday morning October 22,2015.

Third Precinct police officer initiated a traffic stop in the parking lot of 7-Eleven, located at 1074 Motor Parkway in Central Islip. The suspect vehicle was a Dodge Durango with license plates affixed that did not match the registered vehicle. During the officer’s investigation, he was also attempting to determine if the vehicle’s female operator Brittany Vella, 25 of Middle Island  was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Vella fled the traffic stop in the Dodge Durango, traveling westbound on Motor Parkway. As the suspect approached Motor Parkway and Commack Road, she entered the eastbound lanes of the Northern State Parkway traveling westbound. The Durango struck a 2011 Honda Accord head on between the exits for Wolf Hill Road and Route 231 in Dix Hills driven by Sarwan NN, 60 of Smithtown. Subsequent to the crash, the Durango became engulfed in flames. In an effort to save the woman from the burning vehicle, the police officer used fire extinguishers from his marked police vehicle in an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish the flames.

Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. The the male driver of the Honda has been identified as Sarwan NN 60-year-old Smithtown resident.  The female driver of the Durango was Brittany Vella, 25 of Middle Island .

There were no other occupants in either vehicle. No other police vehicles were involved in the pursuit.

New York State Police, who patrol the parkway, were notified by Suffolk County Police Communications Section at the onset of the incident and are not involved in the investigation.

Both vehicles were impounded and detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the Vehicular Crime Unit at 631-852-6553.

Wrong way Durango -Photo by Steve Silverman