Police ID Man, Woman Killed in Northern State Wrong-Way Crash

Suffolk County Police announced Thursday they have identified the two people who were killed in a wrong-way crash on the Northern State Parkway in Dix Hills on Tuesday morning.

Brittany Vella, 25, of Middle Island, was identified as the driver who led a police officer on a wrong-way pursuit on the Northern State before crashing head-on into another vehicle around 2:40 a.m., killing herself and the other driver, who was identified as 60-year-old Sarwan NN, of Smithtown, police said.

According to authorities, a Third Precinct police officer pulled over a Dodge Durango in the parking lot of 7-Eleven, located at 1074 Motor Parkway in Central Islip, for a vehicle traffic stop after noticing that the vehicle’s license plates did not match its registration.

The police officer was attempting to figure out if Vella was under the influence of alcohol or drugs when police said she fled the traffic stop, leading the officer on a police chase.

Police said she traveled westbound on Motor Parkway, approached Commack Road and entered the eastbound lanes of the Northern State Parkway while driving westbound.

The Durango then crashed head-on into a 2011 Honda Accord, operated by NN, between exits 41 and 42, which caused the SUV to burst into flames.

The police officer pursuing the SUV attempted to extinguish the flames and save Vella with fire extinguishers from his marked police vehicle, however, the drivers of both vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Both vehicles were impounded and detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call the Vehicular Crime Unit at 631-852-6553.

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