Worker killed in Melville golf cart crash

A temporary worker at the Thomas School of Horsemanship in Melville died after a golf cart he was driving crashed into a parked tractor trailer on the riding school's property, police said Monday.

The body of Pedro Martir, 31, of Oyster Bay, was discovered at 10:45 a.m. Monday by other workers who were looking for him when he failed to show up for work as usual at 8 a.m., police and the school said.

The horseback riding school and summer camp, which caters primarily to children, is located on 33 acres off Round Swamp Road. Martir, a native of Honduras, was discovered in a remote area of the property where just the trailer was located, said Nancy Thomas, the school's owner.

"This is so hard for Thomas School. In 63 years, we have never had a death of an employee," Thomas said. "It was absolutely devastating to us all."

Martir only began working as a temporary maintenance worker Sept. 12, Thomas said, and was probably not known to the several hundred children who have taken lessons there. But he had already made a positive impression on management.

"All I know is he was a great worker. He was on time every single day," Thomas said. "That's why we were so worried this morning. . . . He's never late."

Martir finished work at 4 p.m. Sunday and was last seen about 6:30 p.m., she said. Martir did not have a car, Thomas said, and was staying at the school. His position was scheduled to end in about a week.

The accident is still under investigation by police and the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's office, authorities said.