Julianne McSweeney killed in Sunrise Highway pedestrian accident, police say
Suffolk County investigator probes scene on eastbound Sunrise Highway near Exit 54 where the East Patchogue woman was fatally struck early Thursday. Credit: James Carbone
A 62-year-old woman from East Patchogue died where she was struck by an SUV on Sunrise Highway near Exit 54 in East Patchogue before dawn on Thursday, according to the state transportation website and Suffolk police.
Julianne McSweeney was walking in the left lane, police said, when a male motorist driving a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse ran into her around 5:09 a.m.
The driver remained at the scene; the safety of his vehicle will be checked, and anyone who can aid detectives should call 800-220-TIPS or download the app. All contacts are confidential.
Eastbound lanes at that exit, which serves Patchogue and Hospital Road, were closed until about 9:25 a.m.
No other details were immediately available.
Last October, Newsday determined that Sunrise Highway was one of the area's deadliest roads, with pedestrians and cyclists accounting for 41% of the 61 people killed on the former, based on five years of data.
In New York, 1.49 pedestrians were killed in car crashes for every 100,000 residents in 2021, up from 1.20 in 2020, according to a preliminary report by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
That was below the national average, which climbed to 2.26 from 2.02, it said.
New Mexico led those rankings, with its rate rising to 4.77 from 3.83 in the same period.
The state with the lowest rates, with 0.92 in 2021 and 0.85 in 2020, was Wisconsin, according to the Washington, D.C.-based not-for-profit.
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'Tis the season for the NewsdayTV Holiday Show! The NewsdayTV team looks at the most wonderful time of the year and the traditions that make it special on LI.
