East Rockaway, NY — Crash Data, Roads, History & Law
East Rockaway is an incorporated village in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, with 10,159 residents at the 2020 Census. Federal crash records show 4 fatal crashes that killed 4 people within its boundaries from 2010 through 2024 — 2 of them on foot. Residents who commute travel an average of 38.5 minutes each way.
Long Island Town Fact Book · Updated · Sources & method
East Rockaway at a glance
- Status
- Incorporated village
- Town
- Hempstead
- County
- Nassau County
- Population (2020 Census)
- 10,159[C]
- Housing units (2020)
- 4,000
- Land area
- 1.02 sq mi
- Density
- 9,979 people per sq mi
- Average commute
- 38.5 minutes[B]
- Traffic deaths, 2010–2024
- 4[A]
- ZIP Code
- 11518
- Founded / settled
- Documented as Near Rockaway by 1665; grew around a grist mill built about 1689 under a Town of Hempstead land grant of December 1688.[1]
- Former names
- Near Rockaway (also spelled Neare Rockaway)[1]
- Legal status
- Incorporated village in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County[1]
- Incorporated
- 1900; first village president Floyd Johnson, population about 969 at incorporation[1]
- Village Hall
- 376 Atlantic Avenue, East Rockaway, NY 11518[3]
- Policing
- Nassau County Police Department, Fourth Precinct (Hewlett), supplemented by the Village's own Auxiliary Police unit; no separate full-time East Rockaway municipal police department was found[4][5]
- Landmark
- Haviland-Davison Grist Mill (built ca. 1689), listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, now the Grist Mill Museum[1]
- Census geography
- East Rockaway village · GEOID 3622876 · GNIS 2391655
- Coordinates
- 40.6439°N, 73.6668°W
Name:The settlement, known as Near Rockaway (or Neare Rockaway) as early as 1665, was formally renamed East Rockaway in 1869.[1][2]
Fatal crashes in East Rockaway, 2010–2024
From January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2024, 4 people died in 4 crashes on public roads inside East Rockaway, according to the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System.[A] Pedestrians account for 2 of those deaths (50%). The deadliest year was 2015, with 2 deaths.
- Fatal crashes
- 4
- People killed
- 4
- Pedestrians
- 2
- Bicyclists
- 0
- Motorcyclists
- 0
- Vehicle occupants
- 2
2024 figures come from NHTSA's Annual Report File and may be revised.
View the chart as a table
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 |
Roads where people died
| Road | Crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Ave | 1 | 1 |
| Atlantic Ave | 1 | 1 |
| E Rockaway Rd | 1 | 1 |
| 5th Ave | 1 | 1 |
Road names as recorded by police and normalised to common Long Island names.
When and where
- Of the 4 crashes with a recorded time, 2 happened between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., 1 between 4 and 8 p.m., 1 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and 0 between 6 and 10 a.m.
- 50% happened in darkness.
- 0 of the 4 deaths were on expressways or parkways; 4 were on arterials and local streets.
Who owns the roads where they happened (2015–2024)
FARS has recorded the owner of the roadway since 2015. Of the 2 fatal crashes in East Rockaway since then:
- Town roads 2 (100%)
Ownership matters in New York because claims against a county, town, city or village generally require a notice of claim within 90 days (General Municipal Law § 50-e), while claims against the State are brought in the Court of Claims under Court of Claims Act § 10. This is general information, not legal advice.
Rate: 2.6 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year, against 5.8 for Nassau County. This is a resident-based rate, not a measure of how risky the roads are to drive: crashes are counted where they happen, not where the people involved live, so a small community crossed by a major highway shows a high rate.
Every fatal crash on record
| Date | Time | Road | Deaths | Who died | Light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. | Ocean Ave at Atlantic Ave | 1 | Pedestrian | daylight | |
| 8 p.m. | Atlantic Ave at Ocean Ave | 1 | Pedestrian | dark | |
| 1 a.m. | E Rockaway Rd at Waverly Ave | 1 | Vehicle occupant | dark | |
| 6 p.m. | 5th Ave at Williamson St | 1 | Vehicle occupant | daylight |
FARS contains no names or personal identifiers. * 2024 records are preliminary. Download all 4 records (CSV) · How this was compiled
Recent East Rockaway Incident Reports
Updated continuously from 511NY, NYSP, NCPD, and SCPD feeds — all Long Island reports.
All reported crashes, 2021–2024
These are the crashes police coded to the Village of East Rockaway. Police reported 516 crashes there from 2021 through 2024 — about 0.4 a day. 115 (22.3%) injured someone and 0 were fatal. [D]
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | 152 | 113 | 110 | 516 |
- Injury crashes
- 115
- Fatal crashes
- 0
- Struck a pedestrian
- 18
- Struck a bicyclist
- 7
- Struck a deer
- 0
Counts are crashes, not people. The municipality is entered by the reporting police agency, and coding is less consistent for small villages, so compare places with care.
How East Rockaway gets to work
East Rockaway commuters travel an average of 38.5 minutes each way, 2.5 minutes longer than the Nassau County average (the national average is 26.4 minutes). About 68.5% of workers drive alone. [B]
| Measure | East Rockaway | Nassau County | New York State | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average one-way commute | 38.5 min ±7.4 | 36 min | 32.6 min | 26.4 min |
| Commute 60 minutes or longer | 25.2% ±6.4 | 22.3% | 16.8% | 8.6% |
| Commute under 15 minutes | 14.3% ±5.7 | 17.9% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Drive alone | 68.5% ±7.7 | 60.7% | 48.8% | 68.8% |
| Carpool | 1.5% ±1.4 † | 7.3% | 6.3% | 8.5% |
| Commuter rail (LIRR) | 6.5% ±3.3 † | 7.1% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| Bus | 0% ±0.4 † | 2.2% | 5.1% | 1.5% |
| Walk | 1.4% ±1.8 † | 2% | 5.6% | 2.4% |
| Work from home | 16.9% ±4.3 | 15.6% | 14.9% | 15.1% |
| Leave home before 6 a.m. | 8.4% ±4.3 † | 10.8% | 10.6% | 14.4% |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.6% ±2.1 | 6.8% | 29.2% | 8.4% |
| Households with three or more vehicles | 15.1% ±4.6 | 23.3% | 11.8% | 21.9% |
Survey estimates for 5,356 workers aged 16 and over; ± values are 90% margins of error. † Small sample — the margin of error is large relative to the estimate, so treat the figure as indicative only. Travel-time rows exclude people who work from home.
Notable facts about East Rockaway
- East Rockaway's Haviland-Davison Grist Mill traces to a December 1688 land grant from the Town of Hempstead, was built around 1689, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.[1]
- East Rockaway was known as Near Rockaway (or Neare Rockaway) as early as 1665, more than two centuries before its 1869 renaming.[1]
- East Rockaway's first village president, upon its 1900 incorporation, was Floyd Johnson, presiding over a village of about 969 residents.[1]
- East Rockaway's Long Island Rail Road station opened in October 1880 on the New York & Long Beach Railroad, becoming part of the LIRR system only in 1909.[1]
History
According to the Village's own official history, the area now called East Rockaway was known as Near Rockaway, or Neare Rockaway, as early as 1665.[1] In December 1688 the town meeting of the Town of Hempstead granted Joseph Haviland a land grant to build a grist mill on the Mill River within a year, and the mill, later known as the Haviland-Davison Grist Mill, was built around 1689.[1] The Village describes the mill as having become a focal point of the area's social, economic and political life, its south-shore location suited to shipping oysters and farm produce to New York City and lumber and grain inland.[1]
As the settlement grew through the nineteenth century around its mill and maritime trade, its name was formally changed from Near Rockaway to East Rockaway in 1869.[1] The Long Island Rail Road station at East Rockaway opened in October 1880, then part of the New York & Long Beach Railroad, before the line became part of the LIRR system in 1909.[1] East Rockaway was incorporated as a village in 1900, with Floyd Johnson as its first village president and a population of about 969 at that time.[1] Over the twentieth century, the Village's own account describes it shifting from a primarily industrial and maritime economy toward a residential, commuter-rail suburb of New York City.[1]
The Haviland-Davison Grist Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998, and the Village describes it, at 325 years old, as having been burned by an arsonist in 1990 and completely restored; it now operates as the Grist Mill Museum at 30 Woods Avenue, open weekends from the first Saturday in June through Labor Day.[1]
Government, courts and policing
The Village is governed by a mayor and a board including a deputy mayor and three trustees, and maintains its own Village Justice Court at 376 Atlantic Avenue, with the Honorable Richard Braverman as Village Justice.[3][7] Primary law enforcement is provided by the Nassau County Police Department's Fourth Precinct, based in Hewlett, which lists East Rockaway among the communities it serves.[4] The Village's own Auxiliary Police unit supplements county coverage with day and evening patrols and traffic control for village and county events, and the Village's own site describes the unit as working closely with the Nassau County Police officers of the Fourth Precinct and the East Rockaway Fire & Rescue.[5] No separate full-time East Rockaway municipal police department could be found on the Village's own site.[5]
Larger civil and criminal matters go to the Nassau County District Court at 99 Main Street, Hempstead, and the Nassau County Supreme Court at 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola.[8][9]
Landmarks and listed places
- Haviland-Davison Grist Mill (Grist Mill Museum) — Built ca. 1689 under a 1688 Town of Hempstead land grant to Joseph Haviland; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1998; operates seasonally as a museum at 30 Woods Avenue[1]
East Rockaway timeline
- Earliest recorded name. The area now called East Rockaway was known as Near Rockaway (or Neare Rockaway) as early as 1665.[1]
- Grist mill land grant. The Town of Hempstead's town meeting granted Joseph Haviland a land grant to build a grist mill on the Mill River within one year.[1]
- Grist mill built. The grist mill later known as the Haviland-Davison Grist Mill was built, becoming a focal point of the area's social, economic and political life.[1]
- Renamed East Rockaway. The settlement's name was formally changed from Near Rockaway to East Rockaway.[1]
- Railroad station opens. The Long Island Rail Road station at East Rockaway opened, then part of the New York & Long Beach Railroad.[1]
- Village incorporated. East Rockaway was incorporated as a village, with Floyd Johnson as its first village president and a population of about 969.[1]
- Joins LIRR system. The East Rockaway rail line became part of the Long Island Rail Road system.[1]
- Grist mill listed on National Register. The Haviland-Davison Grist Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1]
Major roads in East Rockaway
| Road | Route | Maintained by | In East Rockaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Avenue [1][3] | local street | — | runs through; Village Hall's own address |
| Main Street [1] | local street | — | runs through; named by the Village as a business district |
| Centre Avenue [1] | local street | — | runs through; named by the Village as a business district |
Emergency Resources
Hospitals
- Mount Sinai South Nassau — One Healthy Way, Oceanside, NY 11572 — (516) 632-3000 (Nearest designated trauma center serving Nassau's south shore, per the hospital's own site.)
Police
- Nassau County Police Department, Fourth Precinct — 1699 Broadway, Hewlett, NY 11557 — (516) 573-6400 (NCPD's own precinct-boundary page lists East Rockaway among the communities it serves. The Village's Auxiliary Police unit supplements county patrol; East Rockaway has no separate full-time municipal police department. Emergencies: 911.)
Courts
- East Rockaway Village Justice Court — 376 Atlantic Avenue, East Rockaway, NY 11518 — (516) 887-6300 (The Honorable Richard Braverman, Village Justice; Ornella Drevnyak, Court Clerk. Hours Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-3:45 p.m.)
- Nassau County District Court — 99 Main Street, Hempstead, NY 11550 — (516) 493-4200 (Civil claims up to $15,000, misdemeanors and lesser offenses, felony arraignments. Chief Clerk: (516) 493-4159.)
- Nassau County Supreme Court — 100 Supreme Court Drive, Mineola, NY 11501 — (516) 493-3400 (Higher-value civil matters and felony prosecutions.)
Local Driver Services in East Rockaway
Practical resources for East Rockaway drivers — tire shops, gas prices, and live traffic conditions.
Safety Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do after a car accident in East Rockaway, NY?
Move to safety and call 911 immediately, then document the scene with photos and exchange insurance and contact information with everyone involved. File a police report with NCPD and notify your insurer promptly. New York is a no-fault state, so your own PIP coverage pays initial medical costs regardless of fault, and you have just 30 days to file the NF-2 application.
Which roads are most dangerous in East Rockaway?
Atlantic Avenue and Ocean Avenue carry the heaviest traffic through East Rockaway and account for most of the reported crashes we track. Atlantic Avenue at Ocean Avenue — the village’s central commercial crossing. Commercial driveways, signalized intersections, and turning movements along these corridors drive the local crash mix.
How current are these East Rockaway accident reports?
Long Island Traffic adds new reports every 2–4 hours from 511NY, NYS Police Troop L, NCPD, and verified local news. Scroll up for the latest East Rockaway and Nassau County incidents, and check the "Dangerous Roads" section for corridor-level breakdowns.
Do I need a lawyer after a East Rockaway accident?
If you suffered serious injuries, significant property damage, or the other driver was uninsured, consulting a Nassau County personal injury attorney is strongly recommended. Many firms offer free consultations and work on contingency. See our free guides at /know-your-rights/car-accidents/ and /know-your-rights/insurance-claims/.
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Data: machine-readable fact sheet (JSON) · fatal-crash records (CSV) · methodology and limits
References
Datasets
- [A] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2010–2024 national files. Retrieved September 17, 2026.Crashes on public trafficways in which a person died within 30 days. No personal identifiers. Placed by reported coordinates into 2020 Census boundaries.
- [B] U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, tables B08303, B08013, B08301, B08302, B08201, B19013, B01002. Retrieved September 17, 2026.Survey estimates with 90% margins of error. lowReliability = coefficient of variation above 30%.
- [C] U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb — 2020 Census tabulation geography (POP100, HU100, AREALAND). Retrieved September 17, 2026.
- [D] New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Vehicle Crashes — Case Information: Four Year Window. Retrieved September 17, 2026.Police-reported crashes coded to a town, city or village by the reporting agency. Hamlets are not coded; hamlet pages show the parent town.
Sources for history, roads and law
- [1] Village of East Rockaway. A Brief History of Our Village (2026). Government record.
- [2] Village of East Rockaway. A Brief History of Our Village (name change) (2026). Government record.
- [3] Village of East Rockaway. Village of East Rockaway (home page / contact) (2026). Government record.
- [4] Nassau County Police Department. About Fourth Precinct (n.d.). Government record.
- [5] Village of East Rockaway. Auxiliary Police (2026). Government record.
- [7] Village of East Rockaway. Village Justice Court (2026). Government record.
- [8] New York State Unified Court System. Nassau County District Court (2026). Court decision.
- [9] New York State Unified Court System. Nassau County Supreme Court (2026). Court decision.
- [11] Mount Sinai South Nassau. South Nassau (location page) (2026). Institution.
Sources opened and checked September 17, 2026.