911 Caller Reports Teens Playing Chicken on Middle Country Road

Suffolk County police say a group of teens were caught playing an extremely dangerous game to beat summer boredom on Sunday night. 

Suffolk Deputy Inspector Thaddeus Nieves said a 911 caller reported teenagers playing chicken on Middle Country Road/Route 25, near the intersection of Parsnip Pond Road in Lake Grove, at roughly 10:30 p.m. Sunday.  

"They were laying on the street, jumping up and running out of the way of oncoming motorists," Nieves said. 

The 911 report is not related to an accident that took place an hour later, according to police.

Natalie Maloney, 14, of Ronkonkoma, was hit by a SUV while attempting to walk across Route 347 and Middle Country Road/Route 25 with a friend at roughly 11:40 p.m. Maloney is in critical condition at Stony Brook University Hospital. 

"A preliminary investigation shows they were not involved in playing chicken," Nieves said. 

Maloney and her friend were attempting to cross Route 347 to meet up with friends who were waiting at a nearby gas station, according to Nieves. They had been walking for more than an hour. 

"It's obviously an intersection of two heavily trafficked roadways. It would be difficult for pedestrians to cross," Nieves said. 

The heavy traffic on Middle Country Road in the area of Smith Haven Mall raises concern about the teens playing on the roadway. 

"I haven't seen or heard of anything similar recently, but we know young people do silly things," Nieves said.