Drive Safe Long Island initiative launched to honor Angel Salas, 9-year-old killed in 2022 by impaired driver

Angel David Salas loved Halloween and  dressing up in superhero costumes year-round, playing video games, and saying, "I love you" to his parents, just because.

"Angel was the sweetest boy you'll ever meet," said his father, Bruce Koch.

When Angel died from injuries at age 9 after being struck by an impaired driver going 119 miles per hour on the Long Island Expressway in 2022, his organs saved the lives of three other people, and he "became a real-life superhero."

"That wasn’t supposed to be his legacy," said his mother, Juliana Salas.

Angel is among the 2,100 people killed in traffic crashes between 2014 and 2023 on Long Island, a Newsday investigation found. His story is also the motivation behind a new campaign, "Drive Safe Long Island," meant to deter impaired driving, reduce speeding and increase safety for pedestrians.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee announced the initiative at a news conference at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip on Thursday. Others at the event included Suffolk County law enforcement agencies, the state Department of Transportation, Koch, Salas, families of victims, and Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney.

As part of the initiative, the Long Island Ducks will promote traffic safety at their games.

General Manager Sean Smith said the governor's committee safety messages were mentioned when a Ducks player draws a walk. Additional general traffic safety messaging also will be given over the public address and radio broadcasts before and during the game, he said. 

Mary Tanner-Richter, DMV deputy commissioner for traffic safety and investigations, said the initiative was important on Long Island because Nassau and Suffolk are among the most dangerous counties in the state for traffic crashes and fatalities.

"Traffic safety is a serious problem, and it will take all of us working together to change some alarming statistics," she said.

From 2022 to 2024, the number of pedestrians injured or killed in crashes across Nassau and Suffolk counties increased 10%, with 58 pedestrians losing their lives to crashes in 2024, according to the Institute for Traffic Safety and Management.

"We're seeing people who are continuing to drive in an imprudent fashion," Tierney said. "They're driving distracted, they're high on various substances, whether it's drugs or alcohol, they're texting on their phones and seeing the results of this."

On Aug. 22, 2022, Travis Dickson, then 28, of Brooklyn, was driving with a suspended license when he rear-ended Koch’s Toyota Corolla. Angel was strapped into a booster seat in back at the time.

Angel was taken to Stony Brook University Children’s Hospital where he was taken off life support two days later.

"I had to make the toughest decision of my entire life," Salas said in an emotional speech.

Suffolk County Police Chief of Patrol Gerard Hardy said they had increased the number of arrests of drivers under the influence, citing more than 1,300 last year and 858 arrests already this year.

He and other law enforcement officials encouraged drivers to make safe choices before getting behind the wheel, especially when rideshare apps are now readily available.

State police said they would hand out cards with Angel’s story at their checkpoints beginning Thursday, encouraging drivers to make safe choices.

"We all make mistakes, but you're the only one held accountable to make the best possible decisions," Salas said. "Your children deserve a better future."