Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Charles Kenney, 50, of Seaford, was killed on Monday, December 15, 2025, after losing control of his Ram pickup truck and crashing into the stone wall of the Newbridge Road overpass on the Southern State Parkway in Hempstead, according to Hempstead Daily Voice.
A preliminary investigation conducted by the New York State Police determined that Kenney was traveling at an unsafe speed in his Ram pickup when he lost control of the vehicle. The truck veered off the roadway and slammed into the stone wall of the Newbridge Road overpass, a heavy masonry barrier that lines the parkway at that crossing. The force of the impact brought the truck to rest in a position blocking both the center and right lanes of the Southern State Parkway, creating an immediate hazard for other motorists in the area.
Investigators also determined that Kenney was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash — a factor that almost certainly contributed to the severity of his injuries. The combination of excessive speed and the absence of seatbelt restraint are among the most consistently cited contributing factors in fatal single-vehicle crashes across New York State, and both were present here, as the Hempstead Daily Voice reported.
Emergency responders transported Kenney to Nassau University Medical Center following the crash. He arrived with serious injuries and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. No additional passengers or occupants were reported in the vehicle, and no other vehicles appear to have been directly involved in the collision, based on information released by New York State Police.
The crash report was published on the afternoon of December 15, 2025, and authorities noted that the investigation remained in its preliminary stages at that time. No additional details about Kenney’s personal life or survivors were immediately available. The Hempstead Daily Voice has invited loved ones to submit statements, funeral details, and photographs for publication.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place at the Newbridge Road overpass on the Southern State Parkway, a heavily traveled east-west arterial that serves as one of the primary commuter and recreational corridors across Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island. The Newbridge Road crossing is located in the Town of Hempstead area, one of the most densely populated stretches of the parkway’s western segment.
The Southern State Parkway is no stranger to serious incidents. Our database at Long Island Traffic shows 446 recorded incidents on this road, with crashes, roadwork, and lane disruptions occurring with regularity — including multiple crashes and lane closures recorded in the months following this incident. The stone overpass walls that line portions of the parkway were constructed decades ago and, while structurally significant, present an unforgiving fixed obstacle for any vehicle that loses control at highway speeds. Motorists traveling this corridor are urged to monitor real-time conditions via 511NY before and during their trips.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
As of the time of reporting, no criminal charges had been filed in connection with the crash. New York State Police described their findings as the result of a preliminary investigation, indicating that the inquiry into the full circumstances of the collision was ongoing. The determination that Kenney was operating at an unsafe speed and was unrestrained by a seatbelt was based on that initial investigation. Because Kenney did not survive, no arrest or arraignment is anticipated in relation to his own conduct, though investigators may continue to examine the scene, vehicle data, and any additional evidence to complete their official record of the crash.
Broader Impact
New York State law requires all front-seat occupants — and all occupants in vehicles under 16,000 pounds — to wear seatbelts, and failure to do so in a fatal crash is a detail that state safety advocates consistently highlight. According to the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, unbelted occupants are significantly more likely to be ejected or sustain fatal trauma in high-speed single-vehicle crashes like the one that claimed Charles Kenney’s life at the Newbridge Road overpass. For drivers on the Southern State Parkway and across Long Island, this crash is a stark reminder of the potentially irreversible consequences of combining excessive speed with the absence of even the most basic passive safety measure. For related incidents in the Hempstead area, see our accidents index.