Driver critically injured in accident

A motorist was critically injured Monday morning when their vehicle struck a pole across from 2 E Park Avenue in Long Beach. The Long Beach Fire Department responded to a call to extricate the vehicle from the pole at 9:26 a.m. First responders discovered an unconscious, middle-aged male in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. There were no passengers.

The driver was removed from the vehicle by firefighters and paramedics and transported to Nassau University Medical Center in critical condition by the LBFD. He has since regained consciousness and is listed in stable condition, according to Fire Chief RJ Tuccillo. The driver is believed to have had a pre-existing cardiac condition that could have contributed to the accident and reported experiencing chest pains before losing consciousness, Tuccillo added.

“He could have had some type of cardiac issue, or maybe a stroke, and crashed into the pole," Tuccillo said. "Right now that’s how it looks.”

Though the driver has regained consciousnesses, he may have suffered head trauma in the accident, according to Tuccillo.

First responders did not need to cut the man from the vehicle as the doors still functioned properly. The accident is under investigation by the City of Long Beach Police Department.