Suffolk County Police First Precinct officers responded to a motor vehicle accident in Deer Park, which involved an unoccupied van and two other vehicles.

On March 8, shortly after 9 a.m., Joseph Morra, age 43, of 465 McArthur Blvd., Hauppauge, a mechanic working for a Shell gas station at 1985 Deer Park Ave., Deer Park, was working on a 1994 Ford van outside in the station’s parking lot. He had the van’s ignition key in the "on" position, but says he did not start the engine. While he was working under the hood the unoccupied van started, went into drive and left the parking lot. It struck a 1984 Pontiac, which was stopped westbound on Nicols Road, for a traffic light. The Pontiac was operated by Lorraine K. Harris, age 37, of 27 South 30th St., Wyandanch. The van then struck a westbound 1999 Chevrolet on Nicols Road, flipped it over and pushed it into the side of a Fleet bank. The 1999 Chevrolet was operated by Anthony Camodeo, age 33, of 14 Hendel Ct., Deer Park, whose five-year-old son, Anthony Camodeo, Jr., was in the passenger seat. The father managed to unbuckle his son’s seat belt and get both of them outside of the vehicle, which had begun to fill with smoke from the van’s tires, which were still spinning.

The father and son were transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, West Islip, where they were treated for complaints of pain. Lorraine K. Harris did not require medical treat at the scene.