World War II veteran dies in head-on collision in Huntington Station

HUNTINGTON STATION, N.Y. -- Police say a 94-year-old World War II veteran died after his car drifted into oncoming traffic and collided with a truck.

Suffolk County police said Salvatore Tornatore, of Huntington Station, hit a car-transporting truck head-on on Jericho Turnpike Thursday afternoon.

He was taken to Huntington Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The truck driver was not injured.

Police said speed was not a factor in the crash. They are looking into whether he may have suffered a heart attack or fallen asleep.

Newsday reported that Tornatore served as a quartermaster on a destroyer escort in the Pacific. After the war, he devoted his free time to helping disabled veterans.

He was on the national board of the Disabled American Veterans National Service Foundation, which raises funds for veterans' needs.