Thomas Raimondo of Holbrook, Jose Ferreira of West Babylon killed in wrong-way crash on Long Island Expressway in Holtsville, police say

A wrong-way crash on the Long Island Expressway early Thursday morning killed two drivers, Suffolk County police said.

Police said Thomas Raimondo, 61, of Holbrook, was driving a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado east on the westbound LIE when he crashed head-on into a 2005 Acura driven by Jose Ferreira, 32, of West Babylon, at 12:43 a.m. There were no passengers in either vehicle, police said — and both drivers died at the scene.

It was the second wrong-way crash on a Long Island highway in as many days. A wrong-way driver allegedly impaired by drugs Wednesday afternoon on the Northern State Parkway near Roslyn struck multiple vehicles and caused a separate crash, leaving four people with non-life-threatening injuries, State Police said.

While Suffolk police said they do not keep statistics specific to wrong-way crashes, the U.S. Department of Transportation website shows that in 2020, the latest year statistics were available, of the 38,824 traffic fatalities recorded nationwide 507 involved wrong-way drivers.

In 2019, there were 502 wrong-way fatalities, up from 445 in 2018, 455 in 2017 and 451 in 2016. A federal study on potential countermeasures to reduce wrong-way crashes on divided highways includes suggestions such as reducing susceptible highway entrance points, better signage and on-pavement markings, portable tire deflation devices that could be deployed to at-risk entrances and exits, and one-way directional rumble strips.

But most of these potential measures still remain in the study phase.

Meanwhile, details of Thursday's crash on the LIE were not immediately available, with police citing the ongoing investigation. It was not immediately clear where Raimondo entered the roadway.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Sixth Squad detectives at 631-854-8652. Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks.

Authorities said the crash prompted the closure of the westbound LIE between exits 63 and 62. The highway was reopened shortly before 7 a.m.

In a separate incident Thursday morning, a school bus driver and the driver’s aide were injured in a collision involving a school bus and a garbage truck in Hampton Bays, Southampton Town police said.

Both were transported to a hospital for treatment, and police said none of the injuries were life-threatening.

There were no students aboard the bus at the time of the crash, police said.

Police said the collision involved a garbage truck operated by Winters Bros. and a school bus operated by Montauk Bus.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Ponquogue Avenue and Bay Avenue at about 6:55 a.m., police said.

Police said town hazmat officers were called to the scene to contain and clean up “a large amount of fluid” spilled onto the roadway.

Crews from Hampton Bays Ambulance, the Hampton Bays Fire Department and the State Police Motor Carrier Safety division also responded to the scene to investigate.

The road was closed temporarily for investigation and cleanup.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”