Off-duty Cop Charged after Fatal Wrong-Way Crash
According to several news outlets, an off-duty Long Island police officer was arrested and charged after driving the wrong way down a highway, causing a fatal wreck.
Officer Suspended Without Pay
At approximately 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Robert Scheuerer, 24, drove his SUV in the wrong direction down Sunrise Highway in West Islip. Media sources report that between exits 39 and 40, Scheuerer slammed into a van.
The van, according to media outlets, caught on fire. The driver died at the scene of the accident.
Scheuerer was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries, but he is expected to make a recovery. He is charged with reckless endangerment and may face additional charges, reports media outlets.
A police officer in the Suffolk County Police Department, Scheuerer is currently suspended as the investigation of the crash continues.
Motor Vehicle Crash Statistics
The following information is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- 32,675 people died in crashes in 2014.
- In 2014, 2.34 million people suffered injuries in wrecks.
- Among fatally injured passenger vehicle occupants with known restraint use, almost half (49%) of those killed in 2014 were unrestrained.
- For those passenger vehicle occupants who survived fatal crashes in 2014, only 15 percent were unrestrained.
