Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A 26-year-old Central Islip man fatally struck one pedestrian and left a second in critical condition after his 2008 Nissan hit two men walking in the road on Wilson Boulevard in Central Islip at approximately 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, 2025, according to Suffolk County police as reported by Patch.
The driver, Giovanni Guzman, 26, of Central Islip, was traveling northbound on Wilson Boulevard when his vehicle struck Jacinto Santos, 55, and Mauro Zaldivar-Cruz, 38, both residents of Central Islip, who were on foot in the roadway just south of the St. Johns Street intersection, according to Patch. The collision happened in the final minute of Saturday night, just one second before midnight.
Suffolk County police said both pedestrians were transported by emergency responders to South Shore University Hospital following the impact. Santos, 55, was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Zaldivar-Cruz, 38, was admitted to the facility in critical condition, leaving his prognosis uncertain in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
Guzman himself was uninjured in the collision, police confirmed. Authorities impounded his 2008 Nissan following the crash for a safety check — a standard investigative step taken by Suffolk County police when a vehicle is involved in a fatal or serious-injury crash. As of the time of reporting, no charges against Guzman had been announced publicly, and the incident remained under active investigation, as reported by Patch.
Police released a tip line number for the public, asking anyone with information about the crash to contact investigators at 631-854-8352. No witnesses or surveillance footage sources were named in the initial report.
Location & Road Context
Wilson Boulevard is a local roadway running through Central Islip, a densely populated community in the Town of Islip in Suffolk County. The stretch of Wilson Boulevard near St. Johns Street — where the crash occurred — sits in a predominantly residential area, where late-night pedestrian activity, limited street lighting, and vehicle speeds can combine to create dangerous conditions for those on foot. Central Islip is one of the more heavily populated hamlets in Suffolk County, and Wilson Boulevard serves as a connector route through the area’s residential and commercial corridors.
Suffolk County as a whole has a significant history of pedestrian-involved crashes, and our local incident database has recorded 319 accidents in Suffolk County on Long Island. Nighttime pedestrian fatalities, particularly on non-highway roadways where foot traffic can be unpredictable, are among the most serious and difficult-to-prevent crash categories on Long Island’s road network. Anyone traveling through Central Islip and surrounding communities is encouraged to drive with heightened awareness on local streets after dark.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
No charges had been filed against Guzman as of the initial police report published Sunday, June 29, 2025. The investigation into the circumstances of the crash — including Guzman’s speed, any potential impairment, and the precise movements of the two pedestrians — remains open. The impoundment of Guzman’s 2008 Nissan for a safety check indicates that police are examining the mechanical condition of the vehicle as part of their inquiry, which is standard procedure in Suffolk County for crashes resulting in death or critical injury.
Suffolk County police are the lead agency on the investigation. Those with any knowledge of the events surrounding the crash on Wilson Boulevard near St. Johns Street are urged to call the department’s tip line at 631-854-8352. The outcome of the investigation could determine whether criminal charges, including vehicular manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, are ultimately pursued against Guzman.
Broader Impact
This fatal crash adds to a deeply troubling pattern of late-night pedestrian fatalities on Long Island’s local roads, where pedestrians walking in the roadway — rather than on sidewalks or in crosswalks — face extreme vulnerability from passing vehicles. Similar serious crashes in Suffolk County have prompted renewed calls for expanded sidewalk infrastructure and enhanced street lighting in communities like Central Islip, where foot traffic after dark remains common. Drivers are reminded that Suffolk County law enforcement, as evidenced by a recent sobriety checkpoint that resulted in eight arrests, actively patrols for impaired and reckless driving, particularly in overnight hours when fatal pedestrian encounters are statistically most likely to occur.