The Wantagh FD was at the scene of a an auto accident and car fire at Jones Beach on August 15, 2000.  The car, with three occupants, crashed into a bus shelter and split in half which ruptured the gas tank and set it ablaze. Accident investigators for the New York State Police estimate the speed of the car in excess of 80 mph.  The impact of the crash killed the driver and seriously injured the other two occupants who were all from the Westchester Area.

At least a dozen or more life guards and emergency medical technicians from the Jones  Beach Medical Squad made their way to the scene and are credited with moving the victims away from the burning car.  The life guards also performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the driver, who had stopped breathing. They managed to revive him, but he later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. 

With numerous Nassau County Police Ambulances and AEMT at the scene the primary job of the fire department was to extinguish the car fire.  The crew from engine 693 knocked the fire down within minutes.  By this time Wantagh’s ambulance 6917 was at the scene and started to stabilized one of the injured whom they later transported to the Nassau County Medical Center (NCMC).

The driver of the car was taken to NCMC by NCPD ambulance 2367 and the other injured was transported to NCMC by police helicopter #8.