The accidental shooting of a teen on Long Island lead to a four-car crash involving a Nassau County police officer, officials said.
A 25-year-old man was cleaning his gun at a home in Plainview Thursday night when it accidentally discharged, according to Nassau County police, with the bullet striking a 17-year-old.
The man then tried to rush the teenager to the hospital, and was at the intersection of Plainview Road and Old Country Road in the town when he hit another vehicle, police said. That car then spun into two other vehicles, officials said, getting four cars involved in the crash in total.
A witness who was at the traffic light said he saw a car heading north in the southbound lane, and went through a red light. That’s when another car side-swiped the vehicle as each was going about 40 mph, according to the witness.
Richard Lebrun of the Nassau County Police Department said the driver of one of the four cars involved was a county police officer who had just ended her shift. The officer called 911 and kept all the individuals involved at the scene and administered some medical attention.
Despite the extensive damage to multiple vehicles, everyone affected by the crash is expected to survive after being taken to Plainview Hospital.
The 25-year-old, later identified as Brian Gregg of Plainview, was not a licensed handgun owner and has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, authorities said early Friday. He will be arraigned when "medically practical." Attorney information for him wasn't immediately available.
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The crash shut down both roads at the intersection of Plainview Road and Old Country Road in the hours following the shooting. They were reopened after midnight.
