Two people were killed and another was injured when an ambulance skidded off a Long Island highway Wednesday and slammed into an overpass abutment, officials said.
Authorities say the emergency vehicle was headed east on the Southern State Parkway near West Hempstead when it left the roadway and hit the stonework support of the Eagle Avenue overpass just after noon.
It's not clear what caused the ambulance to leave the roadway.
Authorities say the ambulance's driver and a passenger in the back were both killed in the crash. It's not clear if the passenger was an paramedic or a patient.
The identities of the two people who were killed have not yet been released.
State police said a third person, an EMT, was also injured in the crash and was being treated at Winthrop Hospital for a broken leg and a concussion.
Chopper 4 footage from the scene showed the heavily damaged ambulance crashed into the abutment.
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The front end of the vehicle appears to have the most damage, and several firefighters and police are at the site. A tow truck can also be seen on the overpass above.
Eastbound lanes on the highway were closed from exit 17 to exit 18 after the crash. Traffic was backed up to exit 15, and drivers were advised to avoid the area, if possible.
