At one point traffic was backed up at least seven miles in the eastbound lanes. All lanes were reopened by 7:15 p.m.
The first crash happened in the eastbound lanes of the LIE near Exit 56 in Hauppague at about 4:10 p.m. That one involved a motorcycle.
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Emergency crews closed down all of the eastbound lanes. The motorcycle rider, 56-year old Charles Clayton of Mastic, lost control, crashed into a barrier wall and was thrown off the vehicle onto the roadway.
Clayton is being treated at Stony Brook University Hospital for multiple serious injuries.
A short time later, a crash involving a Suffolk County police vehicle occurred in the westbound lane.
There were major delays in both directions through the area.