Drivers Encouraged To Stay Off Road During Snowstorm: Bellone

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Long Island is being pelted with another layer of snow on Thursday. Suffolk County's west end is expected to receive 4 to 6 inches, while the east end will get slightly less, Executive Steve Bellone announced Thursday morning.

"It's clear there's no early spring for us this year," he said. "The winter storms continue."

As of a few minutes before 9 a.m., there have already been 32 car accidents, including a major crash that shut down part of Sunrise Highway, Bellone said. A driver was ejected from their car and brought to South Shore University Hospital following a crash at westbound Sunrise Highway near Broadway past Lincoln Avenue, Bellone said.

"[The crashes] are a reminder to us of how important it is, if you are out on the roadways, to be very careful, to drive slowly, to take every precaution," Bellone said. "Obviously, if you can stay off the roadways today, we encourage you to do that."

The evening commute is a big concern, Bellone said. He urged drivers to come home "a little early" if possible.

A second, but a lesser batch of snow is slated to hit the island overnight, Bellone said.

The Suffolk County Department of Works has been out since early Thursday, Bellone said. Roads were pre-treated prior to the storm.