Medford woman killed in Yaphank crash

A 22-year-old Medford woman was killed when the vehicle in which she was a passenger went out of control and crashed into oncoming traffic in Yaphank, Suffolk police said.

The woman, Kaitlyn Dougherty, was pronounced dead at the scene of the Saturday night crash on Horseblock Road by a physician assistant from the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's office, police said Sunday.

The vehicle's driver, Christopher Torres, 23, of Nesconset, was seriously injured and airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was listed Sunday in critical condition, police said.

Torres' Nissan sedan hit a 2003 Ford van and a 2003 Volkswagen, police said.

The driver of the Ford, William Paravella, 31, of Mastic, and the driver and passenger in the Volkswagen, Daniel Dittmar, 31, of Center Moriches, and Stephen Zanca, 35, of Yaphank, were taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue. They were treated for injuries described as not life-threatening.

Relatives and friends were seen going in and out of Dougherty's Medford home Sunday afternoon. A man who identified himself as Dougherty's cousin asked that the family's privacy be respected while they grieve. He said they are in shock over her loss.

A neighbor who declined to give his name said of Dougherty: "She was a really, really nice girl. We've known them over 14 years. It's a big loss. It's a big loss for the neighborhood and for the families." He said she had lived at home with her parents.

Police are investigating, and ask anyone with any information on the crash to call the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8552.

With Tania Lopez