The man who was killed in a truck crash on the Long Island Expressway in Dix Hills early Monday morning has been identified as a New York City police officer.
Suffolk County police said 30-year-old Joseph Pritchard of North Babylon was driving a Dodge pickup truck that stopped for an unknown reason in the westbound right lane of the LIE near exit 51 before being rear-ended by a International box truck at 2:23 a.m.
Both trucks burst into flames upon impact. Pritchard was pronounced dead at the scene.
An NYPD spokesman said Pritchard was assigned to Midtown South and was hired in January 2005.
The driver of the box truck, 34-year-old Eduardo Garcia of the Bronx, was taken to Huntington Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The truck is owned by Barakat Trucking.
Both vehicles were impounded for safety checks while the investigation is continuing.
Second Squad detectives ask anyone with information on this crash to call them at 631-854-8252 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
