Crime & Safety
UPDATE: Fatal Car Accident on Flanders Road Kills Shinnecock Man
Police say icy roads likely contributed to the crash.
A young man lost his life on icy roads in Flanders early Thursday morning.
According to police, Matthew D. Williams, 29, a resident of the Shinnecock Indian Reservation, died after an accident on the icy roads. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
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Southampton Town police report that at at about 1:51 a.m. on Thursday, a call was received regarding a single-car accident on Flanders Road, approximately 2 miles north of Old Riverhead Road in Hampton Bays.
Officers responded to the scene and found that a red 1999 Ford Mustang had left the roadway and crashed into a tree, with the operator trapped in the vehicle.
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Hampton Bays Fire Department members and the Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance responded to the scene; the fire department’s heavy rescue unit was required to extricate the driver, who was suffering from critical injuries.
During the course of the extrication, police said Williams lost consciousness and attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful; he was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.
Initial findings after an investigation commenced by detectives indicate that the driver lost control due to icy road conditions and inclement weather; a nor'easter blanketed Long Island Wednesday night.
Flanders Road, from Old Riverhead Road to Red Creek Road in Hampton Bays, was closed for several hours while detectives investigated the accident.
The Suffolk County medical examiner’s office responded and will pursue further examination.
Southampton Town residents are mourning Williams' loss. "It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Matthew Williams. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy are with his father, Mitch, a Southampton School District safety officer and bus driver, and all who knew and loved Matt," the Southampton School District posted on its Facebook page Thursday.
Southampton Town police ask that anyone with information on the above incident, or any other criminal activity, call 631-728-5000 or 631-702-2230.
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