Update: Car Burns After Hitting Third Rail

A man was seriously injured and his dog was killed after he crashed his car into the third rail at the Syosset-Woodbury railroad crossing Saturday night, Syosset Fire Chief Robert Kaplan confirmed.

Kaplan said Syosset firefighters responded to the scene at 10:06 p.m. and found the car engulfed in flames on the tracks at Syosset-Woodbury Road. The man driving the car exited the vehicle and was later transported to to be treated for his injuries, which were non-life threatening, while his dog was killed in the wreck, Kaplan said. Authorities have yet to release the identity of the man.

The MTA issued an alert at 11:09 p.m. stating that service has been restored in both directions on the Huntington-Port Jefferson Branch. The alert stated that "earlier, service was suspended due to an unauthorized vehicle on the tracks east of Syosset."

An MTA official said on Monday that service was not restored on the Port Jefferson branch until 12:25 a.m., as the accident delayed four trains, two in both direction. After the power was turned off at 10:05 p.m. and the fire extinguished, workers had to fix the third rail, which had minor damage, the MTA official said.

Stay with Patch for more details on this developing story.