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A Deer Park man who stopped to help motorists after a crash in Islip Terrace was critically injured when he was struck by a vehicle Wednesday morning, Suffolk County police said.
Michael Merkle, 44, a certified emergency medical technician, and Brendan Lahti had pulled over following a crash involving a 2010 Ford and a 2015 Chevrolet on the westbound Sunrise Highway service road, east of Wilson Boulevard, around 8 a.m., police said.
About five minutes later, a 2019 Dodge Ram driven by Jordan Rau struck the rear of Lahti’s 2021 Dodge Ram, pushing it into Merkle’s 2018 Dodge Ram, according to police.
Merkle and Lahti were outside their vehicles when they were struck. Detectives are investigating which vehicle struck the two men, police said.
Merkle was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition. Lahti was taken to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The woman driving the Chevrolet involved in the initial crash was treated for minor injuries. Rau and the Ford’s driver were not injured, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit at 631-852-6553.
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