Police: One dead after garbage truck overturns and catches fire in East Islip
A passenger in the truck was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of injuries.
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A man was killed and another man was injured Thursday morning after a garbage truck overturned and burst into flames on the Sunrise Highway Service Road in East Islip, authorities said.
According to Suffolk County police, the crash happened around 11:45 a.m. near the Southern State Parkway exit. The eastbound service road was shut down for hours police investigated, causing heavy delays during the height of the afternoon rush hour.
Video shared by a viewer showed the truck engulfed in flames. Witnesses described a chaotic and alarming scene.
“I just saw it was on fire,” said Andre Flores of Bohemia. “Cops and firefighters and everyone was already here. But it was on fire.”
The driver of the garbage truck was pronounced dead. Police identified the driver as 45-year-old Xavier Angulo Espionza.
Police say Espionza lost control of the garbage truck on the Sunrise Highway service road.
