Update: MTA police have charged Juanke Kimble Jr., 36 of Roosevelt, with aggravated unlawful operation of a motor vehicle after police and fire crews responded to a car fire on the LIRR tracks in Syosset Wednesday.
Long Island Rail Road service was temporarily stopped Wednesday night after a car was found on fire and on the third rail, said First Assistant Chief Pete Silver.
At 8:59 Wednesday night, Syosset Fire Department responded to a call that a car was on the LIRR tracks at the Syosset-Woodbury Road crossing, according to Silver. Upon arrival, firefighters found the car on the tracks, engulfed in flames and on the third rail about 100 feet east of the crossing, said Silver, adding that an oncoming eastbound train had seen the car just in time, stopping before striking the car.
Power was turned off to the rails from Huntington through Syosset as firefighters descended on the scene. According to MTA police, the fire took less than 20 minutes to be extinguished. Silver said the scene was turned over to the MTA police at 9:30 p.m. to extract the car from the tracks.
LIRR service was stopped between Huntington and Hicksville stations to allow the scene to be secured. MTA police said they did not foresee any long term service disruptions.
No one was injured, said MTA police.
Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.
