What Happened
Tyler Phillips, 13 years old, was fatally struck in a hit-and-run crash on Granny Road in Coram on the evening of October 12, 2022 — just days after celebrating his 13th birthday — when a vehicle traveling westbound struck him and his sister as they walked in a bike lane, according to Suffolk County Police. The driver fled the scene without stopping.
Tyler’s mother told authorities and the public that her son pushed his sister out of the path of the oncoming vehicle. As a result, the sister survived the crash with only minor injuries. Tyler, however, sustained fatal injuries in the collision and died days later at Stony Brook University Hospital, Suffolk County Police say.
The crash occurred around 7:30 p.m. that Wednesday evening. The striking vehicle was traveling westbound on Granny Road when it hit the two children in the bike lane before speeding away. Investigators have identified the suspect vehicle as a dark-colored 2005 to 2009 Chevrolet Equinox. Police say the SUV sustained visible damage in the crash: the front passenger headlight was damaged, the passenger bumper was damaged, and the side-view front passenger mirror was broken.
Tyler’s mother memorialized her son publicly in a Facebook post in the days after the crash, calling him a “hero.” She wrote: “My baby boy is a hero … lots of love. I miss him. There’s no words that can describe on how I feel.” As Patch reported on August 14, 2026, nearly four years have now passed since Tyler’s death, and the case remains unsolved. No arrest has been made, and Suffolk County Police confirmed to the outlet that the investigation has not produced a suspect.
In the weeks immediately following the crash, then-Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison announced a checkpoint on Granny Road specifically designed to generate leads. The checkpoint was intended to encourage anyone with knowledge of the crash or the driver “to come forward and speak with detectives,” police said at the time.
Location & Road Context
Granny Road is a local roadway in Coram, a hamlet in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County. The crash took place in a designated bike lane along the road, where Tyler and his sister had been walking at dusk. Coram sits in central Suffolk County, and Granny Road is a neighborhood-level street rather than a major arterial, making a hit-and-run on it particularly difficult to investigate without witness accounts or camera footage.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Despite an active investigation spanning nearly four years, Suffolk County Police have not identified or arrested the driver responsible for Tyler Phillips’ death, the department confirmed to Patch on August 14, 2026. Detectives continue to seek the public’s help. Crime Stoppers has offered a fast-cash reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest — to be paid within seven days of that arrest being made.
The suspect vehicle — believed to be a dark-colored 2005 to 2009 Chevrolet Equinox with specific damage to the front passenger headlight, passenger bumper, and front passenger side-view mirror — has not been located. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. Detectives at the Suffolk County Police Department are actively encouraging tips from the public as the four-year anniversary of the crash approaches in October 2026.
Broader Impact
Hit-and-run fatalities involving pedestrians in bike lanes underscore a persistent enforcement challenge on Long Island’s local road network: without surveillance infrastructure or immediate witnesses, drivers who flee can evade detection for years — or indefinitely. Tyler Phillips’ case, now approaching its fourth anniversary without resolution, illustrates exactly that gap. If you have any information about the dark-colored Chevrolet Equinox or the crash on Granny Road in Coram, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. A $5,000 reward remains on the table.