Cop car crash sends 5 teens to hospital

Five teenagers and one police officer were hospitalized late Tuesday after their vehicles collided in Massapequa Park. Two of the teens and the officer remained in the intensive care unit at Nassau University

News 12 Staff

Aug 1, 2007, 10:52 PM

Updated 6,334 days ago

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Five teenagers and one police officer were hospitalized late Tuesday after their vehicles collided in Massapequa Park.
Two of the teens and the officer remained in the intensive care unit at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow Wednesday, though their injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Officer Brian McDermott was driving with his emergency lights and sirens activated on Michigan Avenue as he tried to reach a female choking victim, police said. McDermott's patrol car crashed into the teenagers' SUV at the Grand Boulevard intersection. Police said McDermott did not stop at the stop sign, which is permitted in emergency situations as long as necessary precautions are taken.
John Distefano's daughter was in the SUV.
"You think that if someone's driving normal speed on a road with the right of way, five people wouldn't almost get killed," he said.
The teens did not hear or see McDermott's emergency sirens and lights, parents of the victims said. Stanley Oskowsky, who witnessed the entire incident while walking his dog, said the lights and sirens were on. He was surprised to learn the victims didn't realize that.