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Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A 77-year-old Lindenhurst man was killed on the night of January 5, 2026, after being struck by two vehicles while attempting to cross Montauk Highway on foot, according to Long Island Life & Politics. The fatal crash occurred at 7:39 p.m. between South Wellwood Avenue and Washington Avenue in Lindenhurst, a stretch of the heavily trafficked state highway that cuts through the heart of the community.
The 77-year-old victim, a Lindenhurst resident, was attempting to cross Montauk Highway from south to north on foot when he was struck in rapid succession by two vehicles traveling in opposite directions, per Long Island Life & Politics. He was first hit by an eastbound 2021 BMW X5, operated by a 73-year-old man from Babylon. Almost simultaneously — and with catastrophic consequences — he was then struck by a westbound 2014 Ford Explorer, operated by a 20-year-old woman from Lindenhurst. The sequence of impacts — from opposing lanes of traffic — left the pedestrian gravely injured at the scene.
Emergency responders transported the victim to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, which serves as a regional trauma center for the South Shore of Long Island. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The crash occurred after dark on a Monday evening in early January, conditions that would have significantly reduced pedestrian visibility along the unlit or partially lit mid-block crossing point on Montauk Highway.
Neither driver sustained injuries in the collision, according to the report from Long Island Life & Politics. Both vehicles — the 2021 BMW X5 and the 2014 Ford Explorer — were impounded by authorities following the crash for safety checks, a standard procedure in fatal motor vehicle investigations in Suffolk County. Investigators will examine the vehicles for any mechanical defects, data recorder information, or other factors that may have contributed to the fatal outcome.
Suffolk County Police First Squad detectives are leading the investigation. The First Squad covers the Babylon Township area, which includes Lindenhurst. At this stage, the investigation is ongoing and no charges have been publicly announced against either driver. Authorities have not released information regarding speed, alcohol involvement, distracted driving, or any other contributing factor, and those details remain part of the active investigation.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place on Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst, a South Shore community in western Suffolk County. The specific location — between South Wellwood Avenue and Washington Avenue — is a mid-block stretch of Montauk Highway where no marked crosswalk was identified in the initial report. Montauk Highway is a multi-lane state road that carries high volumes of vehicle traffic through densely populated South Shore communities, functioning as one of the primary east-west surface routes on Long Island. Evening pedestrian crossings on this corridor can be particularly hazardous due to vehicle speeds, lane widths, and limited lighting in certain segments.
The area around South Wellwood Avenue is a commercial and mixed-use corridor in Lindenhurst, drawing pedestrian foot traffic from nearby businesses and residential blocks. The crash taking place at 7:39 p.m. in January means it occurred in full darkness, well after sunset, significantly compounding the visibility challenges for both drivers and the pedestrian involved.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The Suffolk County Police Department First Squad is conducting the active investigation into the fatal crash. Detectives are appealing to the public for assistance and are asking anyone with information about the circumstances of the collision to call the First Squad at 631-854-8152. Tips could include information from witnesses in passing vehicles, nearby businesses with exterior surveillance cameras, or residents in the area who may have observed the moments before or after the crash.
Both vehicles involved were impounded as part of standard investigative protocol in fatal collision cases in New York State. Impoundment allows investigators to conduct thorough mechanical inspections and, where applicable, to retrieve onboard data recorder (“black box”) information that may help reconstruct the sequence of events. No charges have been announced at this time against either driver, and the investigation remains open.