Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
A late-night crash at a North Patchogue intersection claimed the life of a passenger on Friday, June 12, 2026, according to Patchogue-Medford Daily Voice, which first reported the fatality that morning. The deadly collision occurred at the intersection of Waverly Avenue and Buckley Road — a busy crossroads in the North Patchogue area of Suffolk County — and set off a multi-agency response that extended into the following day.
According to police, as reported by the Patchogue-Medford Daily Voice, Meredith Hill, 79, of East Patchogue, was operating a 2023 Kia Forte southbound on Waverly Avenue. Hill was in the process of making a left-hand turn onto Buckley Road when the Kia was struck by a northbound 2016 Dodge Ram. The head-on nature of a left-turn conflict with oncoming traffic is among the most dangerous collision types on Long Island roadways, often leaving little time for either driver to react.
Hilton Spokony, 45, of East Patchogue, was riding as a passenger inside Hill’s Kia Forte at the time of the crash. Spokony was transported by emergency responders to NYU Langone Hospital–Suffolk, located in Patchogue, where he was subsequently pronounced dead, authorities confirmed. The Patchogue-Medford Daily Voice noted that details about Spokony’s life were not immediately available following the announcement of his death, and invited his loved ones to share information directly with the publication.
Hill, the driver of the Kia, survived the collision but sustained injuries serious enough to require hospital care. She was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was treated for injuries described by authorities as non-life-threatening. The driver of the Dodge Ram, identified as Michael Aulivola, 55, of Holtsville, was treated for minor injuries following the crash, according to police. The source article, published at 9:57 a.m. on June 12, 2026, and written by journalist Jillian Pikora, noted that police had formally announced the fatality on that same Friday.
Investigators described the incident as a late-night crash, though the precise hour of the collision was not disclosed in early reports. In the immediate aftermath, both the 2023 Kia Forte and the 2016 Dodge Ram were impounded by authorities. Those vehicle seizures are standard procedure in fatal crash investigations in New York State, allowing detectives to conduct mechanical safety checks and gather forensic evidence that may bear on the cause and circumstances of the collision. As of the time of publication, no cause had been officially declared and no charges had been announced.
Suffolk County Police are actively seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed the crash or has relevant knowledge. Members of the public are urged to contact the Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place at the intersection of Waverly Avenue and Buckley Road in North Patchogue, a hamlet within the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County. Waverly Avenue is a north-south corridor that serves both residential neighborhoods and commercial areas in the Patchogue-Medford region, feeding traffic between major east-west arteries. Left-turn conflicts at uncontrolled or signalized intersections along this type of corridor are a persistent concern for traffic safety planners on Long Island, particularly during late-night hours when visibility may be reduced and traffic signal compliance can be less consistent.
Buckley Road intersects Waverly Avenue in a configuration that requires southbound drivers to cross the path of oncoming northbound traffic — precisely the movement Hill was attempting when the Dodge Ram struck the Kia. The proximity of this location to NYU Langone Hospital–Suffolk in Patchogue, where Spokony was pronounced dead, and Stony Brook University Hospital, where Hill was treated, underscores how quickly emergency medical resources were mobilized. For a broader look at accidents in Suffolk County, Long Island Traffic continues to monitor developing incidents across the region.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
As of June 12, 2026, the investigation into the fatal crash on Waverly Avenue remains active and ongoing. Suffolk County Police detectives are leading the inquiry, with both vehicles held in impound for safety inspections that may reveal whether any mechanical defect contributed to the crash, according to the Patchogue-Medford Daily Voice. No arrests have been announced, and no charges had been filed against any of the parties involved as of the time this report was published. The involvement of the Major Case Unit — rather than a standard precinct detective squad — signals that investigators are treating this as a high-priority case warranting specialized resources. Anyone with information is asked to call the Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit directly at 631-852-6555.
Broader Impact
This fatal crash adds to a troubling cluster of critical incidents in Suffolk County on and around June 12, 2026, a period that also saw another man killed in North Patchogue in a separate motor vehicle crash and the guilty plea of a driver in a DWI fatality that claimed the life of a Long Island police officer. Left-turn collisions specifically — like the one that killed Hilton Spokony — account for a disproportionate share of fatal intersection crashes in New York, often because drivers misjudge the speed or distance of oncoming vehicles, particularly under nighttime conditions. The ongoing investigation into this crash may ultimately shed light on whether speed, visibility, or other factors played a role at this specific North Patchogue intersection.