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Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A tow truck operator was killed Tuesday afternoon on westbound Sunrise Highway in Bay Shore after being struck by a passing vehicle while working on the shoulder of the road, according to News 12 Long Island. The fatal crash occurred at approximately 1:40 p.m. on April 15, 2025, west of Brentwood Road — a stretch of the highway near Exit 44.
The victim, a 32-year-old Freeport resident, was in the process of loading a disabled vehicle onto the back of his tow truck when tragedy struck. He was standing on the highway’s shoulder — a necessary but inherently dangerous position for any roadside assistance worker — when he was hit by a car traveling in the westbound direction, according to News 12 Long Island. He was pronounced dead at the scene, making this a devastating loss for the working tow and roadside assistance community on Long Island.
The driver of the vehicle, a 38-year-old Massapequa resident, struck the operator and then crossed several lanes of westbound Sunrise Highway traffic before colliding with the center median, according to police as reported by News 12 Long Island. Despite the severity of the sequence of events — striking a pedestrian and then careening across multiple lanes — the driver was reported to have sustained no injuries. The driver remained at the scene; no charges had been announced at the time of the initial report.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene in Bay Shore, where the victim was found fatally injured. The crash triggered a multi-hour closure of a portion of westbound Sunrise Highway, snarling afternoon traffic across a heavily traveled artery for commuters and residents in the region. As of the afternoon report by News 12, the highway had since reopened, though the closure lasted for a significant stretch of time during a busy weekday afternoon.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, a GoFundMe fundraiser was created to support the victim’s family. The Freeport resident leaves behind loved ones who are now grappling with a sudden and violent loss. Anyone wishing to contribute can find the campaign linked in the News 12 Long Island report on the incident.
The circumstances leading up to the crash — including whether speed, distraction, or any other contributing factor played a role in the vehicle drifting onto the shoulder and striking the operator — had not been disclosed publicly at the time of publication. Police did not issue an immediate statement on the cause of the collision beyond the basic sequence of events.
Location & Road Context
The crash occurred on westbound Sunrise Highway (NY 27), west of Brentwood Road in Bay Shore, near Exit 44. Sunrise Highway is one of Long Island’s most heavily trafficked east-west corridors, stretching from Queens through Nassau and into Suffolk County, serving tens of thousands of commuters daily. The shoulder near this particular stretch is a narrow, high-speed environment where roadside workers operate at extraordinary personal risk.
Sunrise Highway has accumulated 421 recorded incidents in the Long Island Traffic database, with recent events including multiple crashes, a disabled bus, and ongoing maintenance operations along the NY 27 corridor. The roadway sees consistent volumes of commercial, commuter, and passenger traffic, particularly during the midday and afternoon hours when this crash occurred. Related recent incidents on the same road include a serious rush hour Sunrise Highway crash involving a Mastic woman and a westbound Sunrise Highway closure near Exit 56 — underscoring the corridor’s persistent safety challenges.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
As of the initial report published by News 12 on April 15, 2025, no charges had been announced against the driver, 38, of Massapequa, whose vehicle struck the operator and then crossed multiple lanes before hitting the center median. Police were actively investigating the crash at the time of publication, and the full circumstances — including any potential contributing factors such as distraction, impairment, or speed — had not yet been disclosed.
The investigation into the death of the tow truck operator remains open. Given that the crash resulted in a fatality, it is standard practice in Suffolk County for detectives to conduct a thorough reconstruction of the scene, review available surveillance and dash-camera footage, and potentially seek additional information from witnesses who may have observed the vehicle’s behavior prior to impact. Any updates on charges or findings are expected to be released by Suffolk County police as the investigation progresses.