Crime & Safety

Bridgehampton Man, Dog Escape Car Fire Unharmed

Kevin Ochel's truck went up in flames in North Babylon Wednesday morning.

A Bridgehampton man and his dog escaped unharmed from a burning vehicle in North Babylon Wednesday morning. 

Kevin Ochel said he was headed west on the Southern State Parkway shortly before noon when he noticed his 1993 Chevy Suburban was acting sluggish with smoke coming from the hood. Ochel pulled off the highway onto the offramp for northbound Deer Park Avenue. 

"By the time I stopped here, I saw some flames," said Ochel, near his burned out vehicle at the end of the offramp. 

Ochel was able to get his Labrador Retriever and his personal items out of the vehicle before the front portion of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. 

North Babylon firefighters extinguished the blaze. State Police closed down the offramp during the incident. 


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