Privacy update — September 18, 2026: Identifying details have been removed under our victim privacy policy.
What Happened
A Center Moriches man stepped out of his car to check crash damage on the Long Island Expressway and was struck by a second vehicle around 5:50 a.m. Sunday, September 13, 2026, according to Suffolk County Police. The man was driving a 2025 Nissan Altima eastbound in the HOV lane near Exit 50 in Melville when he hit the median. He got out to inspect the damage and was then struck by a 2019 Honda Civic traveling in the same direction.
The Civic was driven by Cristian Guevara, 28. His passenger was John Hurtado-Conde, 31, of Flanders. Investigators found narcotics on both men, Suffolk County Police said.
The Altima driver was transported by ambulance to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip with serious injuries. Police did not release his name.
Guevara was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and two counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia, according to AOL News. Hurtado-Conde was charged with third- and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia. He was not charged with a driving offense.
Both men were taken to Suffolk County Police’s Third Precinct, where they were held through Sunday night ahead of arraignment Monday, September 14, in First District Court in Central Islip, per the AOL report filed at 8:46 p.m. UTC Sunday.
Location & Road Context
Exit 50 on the LIE sits at the Route 110 interchange in Melville, one of the expressway’s highest-volume interchanges in western Suffolk County. The HOV lane runs along the median at that point, placing the Altima driver in a narrow channel between fast-moving traffic and the concrete median barrier when he stepped out.
According to Long Island Traffic’s incident registry, the LIE corridor has logged 102 recorded incidents in the past 30 days and 481 so far in 2026, making it the most active crash corridor tracked on this site. The most recent prior fatal crash on the corridor was recorded August 26, 2026. Other recent crashes on I-495 in the days following this incident include a moderate crash September 15 and three additional incidents on September 14 and 15.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Guevara’s DWAI-drugs charge falls under New York VTL § 1192.4, which covers impairment by a drug other than alcohol. The third-degree criminal possession charge under Penal Law § 220.16 is a Class B felony. Combined with the drug paraphernalia counts, Guevara faces a felony-level case. Hurtado-Conde’s charges are parallel on the possession and paraphernalia counts but carry no driving-related allegation.
Both men were arraigned Monday, September 14, in First District Court in Central Islip. No bail information was available in the initial police report.
Broader Impact
A DWAI-drugs conviction under VTL § 1192.4 in New York carries a mandatory fine of $500 to $1,000 on a first offense, up to one year in jail, and a minimum six-month license revocation. Guevara’s felony possession charge runs separately and carries a potential sentence of up to nine years under Penal Law § 220.16 for a Class B drug felony, depending on the controlled substance identified.