John Papa of Syosset dies in motorcycle crash in Huntington, police say

A motorcyclist was killed Saturday evening in Huntington when he left the roadway and hit a tree, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.

John Papa, 65, of Syosset, had been operating a three-wheeled 2018 Harley Davidson motorcycle northbound on Sweet Hollow Road, south of Jericho Turnpike, when he crashed around 6:30 p.m., the department wrote in a news release.

Papa was brought to Huntington Hospital, where he was declared dead.

An investigation into the cause remains unfinished, and his speed has yet to be determined, according to police.

Papa’s relatives couldn’t be immediately reached early Sunday morning.

On Long Island in 2022, there were 688 motorcycle crashes — 369 in Suffolk and 319 in Nassau, according to preliminary statistics maintained by University at Albany-based Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research. Of the 688 crashes, 32 were fatal — 19 in Suffolk and 13 in Nassau — and in 72% of the crashes there were physical injuries.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.