3 pedestrians hit, 4 people killed in 4 weekend crashes on Long Island
Nassau County police at the scene in New Cassel where pedestrian was struck and killed Sunday. Credit: Jim Staubitser
A pedestrian who was struck in Suffolk County Sunday has died of his injuries, police say, days after crashes claimed the lives of three others on Long Island.
At about 12:13 a.m. Sunday, Amilar Velasquez, 37, of Huntington Station, was critically injured after being struck by a vehicle while walking on the northbound shoulder of West Hills Road in Dix Hills, police said. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene, police said.
Velasquez was taken to Huntington Hospital in critical condition but police announced Thursday that he died of his injuries.
It was one of three fatal pedestrian crashes in a 24-hour period and the fourth crash fatality from this past weekend.
On Sunday, a pedestrian was also killed in New Cassel. A westbound 2015 BMW struck a man crossing Prospect Avenue near State Street about 9:58 p.m. The 27-year-old male driver of the BMW remained at the scene, Nassau County police said.
The pedestrian, identified by police Monday as Oscar Lopez-Melgar, 36, of Westbury, was then struck by a second vehicle, which continued west on Prospect Avenue and fled the scene, police said.
Lopez-Melga, suffering from head and chest injuries, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The investigation is ongoing, police said.
On Saturday at about 9:15 p.m., a woman was crossing Sunrise Highway between New Highway and Court Street in Copiague when she was struck by a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse, police said.
The woman, who has not been identified by police, was transported to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
Less than an hour earlier, at 9 p.m., a 16-year-old was charged with fleeing the scene of a fatal crash in Centereach, after he drove a stolen 2008 Land Rover LR2 and crashed into the rear of a sedan driven by a Marion Napolitano, 73, on Middle Country Road near Dawn Drive, police said.
Napolitano, who was homeless and identified Monday by police, was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A 50-year-old passenger in Napolitano's vehicle is being treated at the same hospital for serious injuries, according to police.
The teen, who was not injured, was stopped by an off-duty Suffolk County police officer as he attempted to run from the scene. He was charged with first-degree driving while ability impaired by drugs, leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident and third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, police said.
Sean Dixon, an attorney representing the teen, said Monday his client has pleaded not guilty.
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Dixon said there was no scientific evidence that the teen was impaired by alcohol or a narcotic when he allegedly was driving. The attorney also said the teen denies fleeing the scene of the crash.
With Grant Parpan
