One dead and 15 injured in Northampton bus crash

By: Will James February 2, 2010 One man was killed and 15 people were injured when a Suffolk County Transit bus struck a car on County Road 51 in Northampton on Tuesday morning, according to Southampton Town Police.   The driver of the car, Michael Brown, 21, of Greenport, was killed when he drove his 2000 Ford Focus through a stop sign at the end of County Road 63 and was broadsided by the bus, which was traveling north on County Road 51 at 7:40 a.m., police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s office, according to police.   The 14 passengers on the bus, as well as the driver, John Bravata, 56, of Ronkonkoma, were taken by ambulances to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead and Brookhaven Hospital in East Patchogue, where they were treated for minor injuries, according to authorities.   A number of departments responded to the scene, including Southampton Town Police, Flanders Northampton Volunteer Ambulance, Westhampton War Memorial Ambulance, Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance, East Quogue Fire Department Ambulance, Riverhead Fire Department and Suffolk County Department of Public Works, police said.   Police said they closed the northbound lane of County Road 51 between the intersection of County Road 63 and the Suffolk County Center in Riverside for approximately three hours and 45 minutes following the accident. The southbound lane of County Road 63 was closed between Old Westhampton Road and County Road 51 for approximately four hours and 30 minutes, according to authorities.   The Suffolk County bus was traveling route S66, which takes passengers from Patchogue to the Suffolk County Center in Riverside, according to Suffolk County spokesman Dan Aug.   Southampton Town Police said they are still investigating the incident and no one has been charged in the crash.