Two Airlifted After Motorcycle Hits Deer on County Road 48 in Peconic

For the second time in 24 hours, an accident on Route 48 in Southold Town has resulted in serious injuries and passengers being airlifted to the hospital.

According to Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley, a motorcyclist was heading westbound on County Road 48 in Peconic on Sunday at approximately 4:45 "when a deer ran across the roadway into the path of the motorcycle and was struck, knocking the driver and passenger of the bike onto the roadway," he said. Both driver and passenger were airlifted, and brought to Stony Brook Hospital, he said.

No further information on the condition of the driver or passenger was immediately available.

The accident sparked traffic snarls, with many cars being re-routed to Route 25, where cars were backed up for some time, according to witnesses.

The accident was the second serious incident on Route 48 in 24 hours: On Saturday night, an elderly man died after a two-car crash on Route 48 in Southold.