Ambulance Collision on Park Avenue Injures Five in Huntington

Suffolk County authorities are investigating a Jan. 7 crash in Huntington that injured five people after an ambulance transporting a patient to Huntington Hospital collided with a 2021 Lexus on Park Avenue. The injured included both drivers, two passengers and the patient who had been inside the ambulance; all were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Lexus was driven by a 71-year-old woman from Forest Hills. Police have said the cause of the collision remains under investigation and declined to release additional information about why the patient was being transported to the hospital.

Collisions involving ambulances carry outsized implications for public health and emergency response. When a vehicle that is itself a life-saving resource is involved in a crash, the incident can disrupt care for the patient being transported and also tie up additional emergency resources. For residents near Huntington Hospital and along Park Avenue, the crash is likely to prompt questions about roadway design, traffic control and how ambulances navigate busy local streets while responding to urgent calls.

The event also spotlights broader policy and equity issues. Communities with limited access to care or higher reliance on emergency transport can be disproportionately affected when ambulances are delayed or rendered temporarily unavailable. Ensuring safe operations requires attention to vehicle safety standards, driver training, intersection controls and coordination between EMS and local traffic enforcement. Any review by Suffolk County Police or county health and emergency services will carry consequences for how quickly ambulances can reach patients across the county, including vulnerable populations who depend on timely transport.

Suffolk County Police have said they are handling the investigation; no additional details about the patient’s condition or the sequence of events have been released. Residents should expect possible traffic disruptions in the immediate aftermath of crashes involving emergency vehicles and exercise caution when driving on Park Avenue and near hospital corridors. Local authorities may issue further updates as the investigation proceeds.

This collision underscores the need for ongoing attention to emergency vehicle safety and for policies that protect both people receiving care and the crews who transport them. Maintaining prompt, safe emergency response is a public-health priority for Suffolk County and its neighborhoods.