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Bellport, NY (August 18, 2026) – One person was hurt on Monday afternoon, August 17, in a two-vehicle collision on South Country Road near Station Road in Bellport. It happened around 3 p.m., police said.
A 55-year-old man driving a Volvo SUV southbound attempted to make a U-turn from the shoulder into the northbound lane when his vehicle was struck on the front driver’s side by a northbound Land Rover, according to police.
The driver of the Land Rover was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-East Patchogue for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Volvo was not hurt.
No citations were issued. We hope for a full recovery for the injured driver.
Why Are Shoulder U-Turns So Risky?
U-turns from a road shoulder are considered one of the riskier maneuvers a driver can attempt, since the vehicle has to cross active travel lanes without the benefit of a turn signal warning or dedicated turning space. A driver has to judge the speed and distance of oncoming traffic in both directions before completing the move safely.
Front driver’s side impacts, sometimes called offset strikes, can be particularly dangerous because the point of contact is closest to the driver rather than spread across the vehicle’s front end. Modern vehicles are engineered with crumple zones designed to absorb this kind of force, but the outcome still depends heavily on speed and the angle of contact.
Many states restrict or prohibit U-turns from a shoulder specifically because of how quickly a stopped or slow-moving vehicle can end up in the path of oncoming traffic. Waiting for a designated turnaround point, even if it takes a few extra minutes, remains one of the simplest ways to avoid this kind of risk.
