Cops: Mother dies in Orient crash, 18-month-old survives unharmed
A 30-year-old mother was killed after driving off a private road in Orient and crashing just after midnight Thursday, Southold Town police said.
The woman’s 18-month-old daughter was in the car and survived unharmed, according to a police news release.
Police say Jacquelyn Carvo of Farmingdale crashed off Point Road about 12:25 a.m., striking “several small trees and a utility pole.” Police and Orient firefighters rushed to the crash site within minutes, but Ms. Carvo had died of her injuries at the scene, police said.
The last ferry ran out of Orient ran at 7:30 p.m. last night.
According to Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley, it appeared that Ms. Carvo kept driving straight at the end of Route 25, where a sharp right turn leads to the Orient Point ferry. Why she was making the trip out there, though, remains unknown at this point.
“It looks like maybe she was unfamiliar with the roadway, and she just ran out of pavement and went into the woods,” Chief Flatley said.
Little evidence that a fatal crash occurred there the night before were evident on Thursday morning: a reporter saw no visible signs of braking at the end of Route 25 and little brush seemed to be disturbed in the area. However, a utility pole about 100 feet into the woods was damaged from the crash.
Chief Flatley said there was “significant damage” to the driver’s side of the vehicle.
The victim’s daughter had been secured in a child safety seat, police said. The child was taken to Eastern Long Island Hospital, where she was evaluated and found to be unhurt, police said.
Police said they have notified Ms. Carvo’s family members.
The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office was called to the scene to help investigate, according to the news release. Her vehicle was impounded by police for a safety check and the cause the accident is still under investigation, police said.
The chief said drug and alcohol levels would be determined during an autopsy.
Update, 9:55 a.m.: This story has been updated with remarks from Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley.
With Joseph Pinciaro
