Long Beach man seriously injured in LIE crash

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A Long Beach man was seriously injured in a multi-vehicle collision on Tuesday night that down the Long Island Expressway for more than four hours.

Suffolk County police said the crash occurred in Islandia at 5:40 p.m. when Long Beach resident Douglas Rodger, 55, drove his 2013 Hyundai westbound and was approximately 1,000 feet west of Exit 57 when he failed to stop in time and struck a 1998 Plymouth that was stopped in traffic in the left lane.

“The crash set off a chain reaction with the Plymouth, striking a 2000 Toyota, which struck a 2016 Mitsubishi, which struck a 2014 Chevy,” police said in a news release.

Police said Rodger suffered partial partial paralysis and was airlifted by Suffolk County police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital in serious condition.

The driver of the Plymouth, Christian Dominguez, 35, of Brentwood, and Darlene Rosales, 16, of Bay Shore, a passenger in the Mitsubishi, were transported to Southside Hospital in with non-life-threatening injuries.

The vehicles with the injured victims were impounded for safety checks. Westbound traffic was closed until 10:15 p.m., and police said that the investigation is ongoing.

Photos of the scene show one of the vehicles with serious front-end damage.

According to Newsday, the westbound expressway was closed between Exit 56, Wheeler Road, and Exit 57, Veterans Memorial Highway.

Motorists were directed onto the service road, and while the eastbound LIE was not shut down, traffic slowed because of rubbernecking, police said.