Sean Urda: 17-Year-Old Dies After Crashing Into Light Pole With Sled
A teenage boy was killed after crashing into a Long Island light pole while sledding on Monday. 17-year-old Sean Urda was having fun with two of his friends on Monday night, sliding in an inner tube as it traveled down Chester Court located in Huntington, New York.
Daily Mail reports that Sean crashed into the light pole during his turn at around 10 P.M. The report states that witnesses told police Sean Urda actually lost control of the inner tube shortly before crashing.
Urda was rushed to a local hospital by the Greenlawn Fire Department via ambulance with critical injuries, according to Newsday. However, the East Northport teenager was later pronounced dead.
Chester Court is a short suburban street that has a cul-de-sac located at both ends. A small hill is located near the north end of the street – a hill which may seem like the perfect spot for sledding.
The same blizzard that covered the Long Island hill with snow for sledding is creating chaos for millions of inhabitants of the region. The northeastern snow storm (or “nor’easter”) is what reportedly caused tens of millions of people from Philadelphia to Boston to rush home Monday night.
According to Yahoo! News, the storm has the potential of creating hurricane-force winds and accumulating between one and three feet of snow.
As the snow continued to pile up, many facilities and services had to shut down. Reports confirm that over 7,700 flights heading in and out of the northeastern states were cancelled. Businesses and government offices unexpectedly shut down and schools were closed.
Atlantic nor’easter shuts down schools, services on the East Coast: http://t.co/RlXtMk2l3z pic.twitter.com/mg0dtpyhQQ
— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) January 27, 2015
An official blizzard warning was issued by the National Weather Service, targeting a 250-mile swath throughout the region. This means that heavy and blowing snow was expected to fall with a high possibility of whiteout conditions. Winds were expected to at least reach speeds of 75 mph along the coast of Massachusetts and more than 50 mph inland.
Local authorities banned travel on highways and streets throughout New York City, including Long Island. Violators of that restriction reportedly could be fined $300. Manhattan residents were not even able to order food deliveries, since they were categorized as off-limits as well.
Andrew Cuomo, the Governor of New York, made a statement in reference to past incidents that left motorists stranded in the snow for more than 24 hours.
“We learned the lesson the hard way.”
Reports confirm that the death of Sean Urda was the first fatality that occurred during the recent “nor’easter.” The ferocious blizzard has shut down most of the northeastern section of the United States, and the storm is still raging from Boston to Portland, Maine.
[Image Credit: NBC New York & Daily Mail]
