Long Beach Firefighters Assist As Driver Heads Wrong Way

LONG BEACH, NY — A dangerous situation could have turned deadly, if not for the quick actions of Long Beach firefighters.

A wrong-way driver was spotted on the Meadowbrook Parkway around 10 p.m. Thursday.

Lt. Anthony Fallon and Firefighter Sam Pinto were returning from a training exercise in their personal vehicle, the Long Beach Professional Firefighters posted on Facebook.

While approaching Exit M10 in the southbound lanes, they noticed an SUV in the left lane headed in the opposition direction, according to the Facebook post.

Pinto called 911 after avoiding a collision and trying to warn the driver. They stayed on the phone with the emergency dispatcher and the state troopers, providing the SUV direction until losing sight of the vehicle, the Facebook post stated.

At that point, the Long Beach firefighters drove to the turnaround and headed northbound, in case they would be needed to assist in first aid at an accident, the Long Beach Professional Fire Fighters wrote.

However, as they got near Exit M6, the firefighters spotted the SUV surrounded by state troopers, and ultimately the driver was arrested.

"The troopers told them that if it wasn’t for their interventions that the situation could have resulted [in] deadly consequences," the Long Beach Professional Fire Fighters posted.