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Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A North Patchogue intersection turned deadly late Wednesday night when a left-turn maneuver on Waverly Avenue resulted in a two-vehicle collision that killed a 45-year-old East Patchogue man and sent two others to the hospital, according to Long Island Life & Politics, which first reported the incident.
The crash occurred at approximately 10:10 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11, 2026, at the intersection of Waverly Avenue and Buckley Road in North Patchogue. According to Long Island Life & Politics, a 79-year-old East Patchogue woman was driving a 2023 Kia Forte southbound on Waverly Avenue when she attempted to make a left turn to head eastbound onto Buckley Road. As she executed that turn, her vehicle was struck by a 2016 Dodge Ram traveling northbound on Waverly Avenue, driven by a 55-year-old Holtsville man.
The impact of the collision proved fatal for the Kia’s passenger. A 45-year-old East Patchogue man who was riding in the Kia Forte was transported to NYU Langone Hospital – Suffolk, located in Patchogue, where he was later pronounced dead, per Long Island Life & Politics.
The Kia’s driver was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Dodge Ram was also taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries. All three individuals involved in the crash were accounted for and transported by emergency responders dispatched to the scene.
Following the collision, both vehicles — the 2023 Kia Forte and the 2016 Dodge Ram — were impounded by authorities for safety checks, a standard step in fatal crash investigations that can help determine whether mechanical failure played any role in the accident. The investigation has been assigned to the Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit.
Location & Road Context
The crash unfolded at the intersection of Waverly Avenue and Buckley Road in North Patchogue, a hamlet in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County. Waverly Avenue is a two-lane roadway that runs north-south through a mixed residential and commercial corridor in the Patchogue area. Left-turn maneuvers across oncoming traffic on two-lane roads without dedicated turn signals are among the most common contributing factors in broadside and angular collisions on Long Island’s local road network. The intersection with Buckley Road does not appear to be a signalized crossing, making nighttime turning maneuvers — such as the one attempted at 10:10 p.m. — particularly hazardous when oncoming vehicles are difficult to detect at speed.
The North Patchogue area has seen continued road safety concerns in recent weeks. As recently as June 1, 2026, the New York State Department of Transportation announced overnight road closures on Sunrise Highway in nearby East Patchogue. A pre-Memorial Day DWI crackdown in Patchogue in late May 2026 resulted in eight arrests — a signal of the broader traffic safety climate in the immediate region surrounding the crash site.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit has taken charge of the investigation into this fatal crash. As of reporting by Long Island Life & Politics on June 12, 2026, no charges had been announced against any of the parties involved. The impoundment of both vehicles for safety checks indicates that investigators are examining mechanical components — including brakes, steering, and lighting systems — as part of a comprehensive inquiry into the cause of the collision.
Detectives are actively soliciting public assistance. Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact the Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555. Tips can be provided anonymously, and investigators have not publicly ruled out any contributing factors at this stage.