Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A 14-year-old bicyclist from Miller Place was critically injured Tuesday afternoon after colliding with a commercial truck and being run over by the vehicle’s rear tires on State Route 25A, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. The crash occurred at approximately 3:20 p.m. when the driver of a westbound Ford F-550 XL Super Duty commercial truck merged to turn left into Delea Sod Farms, Suffolk police said in a news release.
As the commercial truck executed its left turn, the teenage bicyclist, who was traveling eastbound on the shoulder of Route 25A, “struck his bicycle into the passenger side door of the truck,” according to the police release. The collision sent the 14-year-old Miller Place resident tumbling from his bicycle directly into the path of the massive commercial vehicle.
After the initial impact with the truck’s passenger side door, the teenager fell off his bike and was subsequently run over by the truck’s rear passenger side tires, police said. The driver of the Ford F-550 immediately stopped the vehicle following the collision and dialed 911 to report the incident, according to authorities.
The critically injured teenager was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where he remained in serious condition, police said. The driver of the Ford commercial truck was not injured in the collision, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.
Following the crash, the Suffolk Police Department’s Highway Patrol Bureau’s Motor Carrier Safety Section conducted a thorough inspection of the commercial vehicle at the scene. The specialized unit, which handles investigations involving commercial trucks and other large vehicles, examined the Ford F-550 XL Super Duty as part of the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The Miller Place crash occurred within eight hours of another serious bicycle-related incident on Long Island, highlighting a particularly dangerous day for cyclists in the region. Earlier that same day, a bicyclist was struck and killed in a hit-and-run collision on Beech Street in Atlantic Beach, according to Newsday reports. Nassau County police arrested and charged the driver in that fatal incident, identified as Erin M. Henry, 67, of Long Beach, with leaving the scene of an incident causing a death.
Location & Road Context
The collision took place on State Route 25A in Miller Place, a busy east-west corridor that serves as a major thoroughfare through Suffolk County’s North Shore communities. The crash occurred specifically at the entrance to Delea Sod Farms, where the commercial truck was attempting to make a left turn from the westbound lanes of the state route.
Route 25A, also known as Northern Boulevard in some sections, runs parallel to the Long Island Sound and connects numerous North Shore communities from Queens to Orient Point. The roadway carries significant commercial and commuter traffic, particularly during afternoon hours when the Miller Place collision occurred. The presence of businesses with driveways directly accessing the state route, such as Delea Sod Farms, creates multiple conflict points where vehicles must cross opposing traffic lanes to enter and exit properties.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The Suffolk County Police Department’s Highway Patrol Bureau continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision between the teenage bicyclist and the commercial truck. The Motor Carrier Safety Section’s inspection of the Ford F-550 XL Super Duty at the crash scene indicates authorities are conducting a comprehensive review of the incident, particularly given the involvement of a commercial vehicle and the severity of the teenager’s injuries.
No charges have been announced in connection with the Miller Place crash as of the initial police report. The investigation will likely examine factors including the truck driver’s actions during the left turn maneuver, the bicyclist’s position on the roadway shoulder, visibility conditions at the time of the collision, and compliance with commercial vehicle safety regulations.
Broader Impact
The Miller Place incident represents the second bicycle-related collision within an eight-hour period on Long Island, with Nassau County police already filing charges against a driver in the fatal Atlantic Beach hit-and-run case. Erin M. Henry is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday at First District Court in Hempstead on charges of leaving the scene of an incident causing a death, demonstrating the serious legal consequences drivers face when failing to remain at crash scenes involving cyclists.