Police Release Name Of Woman Who Perished In Long Island Van Fire

CORAM, NY — Suffolk police on Wednesday released the name of the woman who died after a van burst into flames on a Long Island roadway earlier this month.

Police received a 911 call that a 2002 Ford Econoline van had become "fully engulfed" on County Road 83, just north of Pine Road, in Coram at about 6:15 p.m. When officers arrived at the scene, they saw that the driver of the van, 53-year-old Mount Sinai resident Talal Saad, had been able to get out of the van, police said.

His passenger, Hameedei Saad, 41, of Mount Sinai was not able to get out of the van in time and she was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner, according to police.

Saad was transported by local ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of "non-life threatening injuries," according to police.

The cause of the fire is still deemed "non-criminal in nature," and the cause has not been determined. It is still under investigation by the Homicide Squad and Arson Section detectives, police said. No further details were released by the police.

News 12 reported that officials told them that the fire spread from the rear of the van where there was a propane leak from a barbecue tank.

The vehicle was impounded for a safety check, police said. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Homicide Squad detectives at 631-852-6392.