Svetlana Durandina, of Massapequa, hit and killed by car
Nassau County police patrol car. Credit: Jonathan Singh
A 41-year-old woman crossing Merrick Road was struck by a vehicle and killed early Wednesday morning in Massapequa, police said.
The woman, identified by Nassau County police as Svetlana Durandina, of Massapequa, was struck at 5:45 a.m. at the intersection of Merrick Road and Bayview Avenue by a westbound 2019 Hyundai driven by a 27-year-old, police said. Durandina was transported to a hospital by a police ambulance but died of "severe body trauma," police said. The driver, who was not otherwise identified, stayed at the scene and has not been charged, they added.
Homicide Squad detectives are investigating, but police have not released any additional information regarding potential factors for the crash.
More coverage: Every 7 minutes on average a traffic crash causing death, injury or significant property damage happens on Long Island. A Newsday investigation found that traffic crashes killed more than 2,100 people between 2014 and 2023 and seriously injured more than 16,000 people. To search for fatal crashes in your area, click here.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
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