What Happened
A Long Beach woman has been indicted on a felony charge stemming from a deadly hit-and-run that killed a Far Rockaway cyclist on Beech Street in Atlantic Beach on the morning of March 24, 2026. According to News 12 Long Island, Erin Henry, 67, struck a man who was riding his bicycle and then kept driving, leaving him to die at the scene.
The crash occurred at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Beech Street. According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s office, as reported by News 12 Long Island, Henry — employed as a school nurse — had returned home to retrieve work belongings she had forgotten that morning. After striking the cyclist, she continued on to her job as though nothing had happened. The victim, Tony Thomas, 59, of Far Rockaway, was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services. Prosecutors described Thomas as a beloved grandfather.
What might have been a hit-and-run that went unsolved was broken open by fast-acting bystanders at the scene. DA Anne Donnelly credited those witnesses directly, stating: “Quick thinking witnesses recorded Henry’s license plate, and she was located by police driving to work as if nothing had happened, callously blaming a fictious boulder for the beloved grandfather’s death when she was pulled over and questioned.” Henry allegedly attributed the damage to her vehicle to a boulder — an explanation prosecutors characterized as a fabrication — rather than acknowledging she had struck and killed Thomas.
Police located Henry while she was en route to work following the collision. She was pulled over and questioned, at which point she offered the boulder explanation. She was subsequently arrested and, as News 12 Long Island reported, has now been indicted by a Nassau County grand jury on the felony charge.
Henry, 67, of Long Beach, entered a plea of not guilty on Wednesday, July 2, 2026. The felony charge she faces is leaving the scene of an incident without reporting resulting in death. If convicted, she faces a prison sentence of up to 2⅓ to 7 years.
Location & Road Context
The crash took place on Beech Street in Atlantic Beach, a narrow barrier island community situated along the South Shore of Nassau County. Atlantic Beach is accessible primarily via the Atlantic Beach Bridge from Long Beach, making Beech Street a key local corridor. The area is frequented by cyclists and pedestrians, particularly during morning hours, given its residential character and proximity to the waterfront.
This specific location has drawn scrutiny since the March 24 fatality. Long Island Traffic previously reported that Nassau County quietly canceled a planned bike path at the Atlantic Beach fatal crash site in early April 2026 — a decision that raised significant community concern about cyclist safety infrastructure in the area where Thomas was killed. The absence of dedicated cycling infrastructure on Beech Street at the time of the crash is part of the broader context of this tragedy.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The Nassau County District Attorney’s office, led by DA Anne Donnelly, prosecuted the case following the initial law enforcement response on March 24. Long Island Traffic reported on the initial crash the same morning it occurred, and the victim was identified days later as Tony Thomas, 59, of Far Rockaway.
Henry was indicted by a Nassau County grand jury and arraigned on Wednesday, July 2, 2026, where she pleaded not guilty to the single felony count of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting resulting in death. The charge is a Class D felony under New York law. Henry faces a sentencing range of 2⅓ to 7 years in state prison upon conviction. No bail information was included in the DA’s announcement. The case is being prosecuted by the Nassau County District Attorney’s office under DA Anne Donnelly.
Broader Impact
The cancelation of a planned bike path near the Beech Street crash site — reported by Long Island Traffic in April 2026 — adds a troubling layer to this case. Had protected cycling infrastructure been in place on the morning of March 24, Tony Thomas may have had a safer travel corridor on that stretch of road. Nassau County’s decision to withdraw that project, coming so soon after a cyclist’s death at that very location, has left residents and advocates questioning whether the South Shore’s barrier island communities are receiving adequate attention in regional cycling safety planning. Anyone involved in a crash on Long Island can find relevant guidance at our know your rights page.