The driver of the tanker truck that flipped, crashed into a building and caused a massive fire on Feb. 16 2022 told police that the accident happened after he swerved to avoid a car, according to a police report obtained by the Herald.
The driver, identified as Emanuel Thornton, of Bay Shore, was picked up by police officers in Bellmore after getting out of a taxi that was taking him home from Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside at about 3 a.m. on the day of the crash, and he was released by police after questioning at about 5 a.m.
The gasoline tanker was headed east on Sunrise Highway at about 1:11 a.m. on Feb. 16 when it struck the vacant La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries store, which had been closed for months. The crash sparked a massive fireball as some of the tanker’s 9,200 gallons of fuel spilled from the truck, and part of the building collapsed. Black smoke billowed into the air as the fire spread to the sewers beneath the street.
The crash also caused gasoline to flow into Mill River, which killed several animals, including waterfowl, fish and red-eared slider turtles. State environmental officials said that there was no other visible impact of gasoline in the river beyond the small area where the animals were found dead.
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