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STATEN ISLAND, Richmond County, N.Y., Oct. 5, 2026 — Six people were taken to hospitals after a car crash late Sunday night, October 4, near the Moravian Cemetery, close to Richmond Rd and Todt Hill Rd, in the New Dorp section of Staten Island.
The FDNY said it received a 911 call reporting the crash at about 11:42 p.m. Responders found multiple vehicles at the scene, including a white car stopped near the cemetery entrance, and a large number of emergency vehicles lined Todt Hill Rd as crews worked.
EMS crews took all six injured people to area hospitals, the department said. The FDNY did not say which hospitals received patients or describe the severity of their injuries.
The NYPD's Collision Investigation Squad, which typically handles crashes involving life-threatening injuries, was not dispatched to the scene, a police spokesperson said. That suggests injuries were not considered life-threatening, though officials have not released further detail on what led to the crash or how many vehicles were involved.
We hope those who were hurt recover fully and quickly.
What Actually Cuts Down Multi-Vehicle Crashes
Late-night crashes involving several vehicles often come down to one driver having almost no time to react before traffic ahead slows or stops. In a dense roadway corridor, a single sudden brake light can set off a chain of close calls, and when just one driver is following too closely or distracted for even a couple of seconds, there's no room left to avoid contact.
Engineers have found specific fixes that help. Better street lighting at night, roundabouts that slow traffic naturally instead of relying on sudden stops at a light, and signal timing that spaces out platoons of cars all reduce the odds of this kind of pileup. Median barriers also keep a crash from crossing into oncoming lanes and multiplying.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 6,138,359 police-reported traffic crashes occurred in 2023. Many of those involved more than one vehicle, and researchers consistently point to following distance and reaction time, not just speed, as the deciding factor in whether a slowdown turns into a collision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes multi-vehicle crashes hard to investigate?
With several vehicles involved, investigators often have to reconstruct the sequence of impacts, figure out which vehicle struck first, and sort out conflicting driver and witness accounts before determining what happened.
Why do chain-reaction crashes happen?
They typically start with one vehicle slowing or stopping suddenly. Drivers behind it, especially those following closely or distracted, don't have enough space or time to stop safely, and the collision spreads backward through traffic.
How can drivers avoid getting caught in a pileup?
Leaving extra space behind the car ahead, staying alert for brake lights well before reaching them, and slowing early in heavy or fast-moving traffic all give a driver more time to stop safely.
What to Do After a Car Crash in Staten Island, NY
If you're involved in a crash, you should move to a safe spot if possible and call 911 right away. Even injuries that feel minor at first, like neck pain or soreness, can turn out to be more serious once adrenaline wears off, so it's worth getting checked by a medical professional the same day. Take photos of the scene if it's safe to do so, exchange information with other drivers, and ask for a copy of the police report once it's available. Staten Island residents can also reach out to the NYPD precinct that responded for updates on the report or investigation status.
