Suffolk cops: Two pedestrians struck and killed in separate crashes

Two pedestrians were struck and killed early Sunday while walking on major roadways in separate Suffolk County crashes minutes apart, police said.

In Sayville, a man in the eastbound Sunrise Highway Service Road west of Lincoln Avenue at 12:30 a.m. was struck by three vehicles, according to police. The man was first struck by a 2010 Toyota Camry, followed by a 2018 Toyota RAV 4 and then by a 1998 Chevrolet pickup truck.

The victim, who has not yet been identified by police, was taken to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Minutes later in Medford, a man on the Long Island Expressway between exits 64 and 65 was hit by two vehicles, police said. He was first struck by a 2016 Jeep Cherokee and then by a 2022 Honda Pilot, according to police.

Dee Annarello  of Riverhead was traveling home from a movie early Sunday when she said she saw the man running shirtless in the middle lane of the LIE into oncoming traffic. The car she was in swerved and avoided the man, but the vehicles traveling behind her were not able to.

“It's honestly haunting,” she said. “It was seconds before we saw this man alive. And then as soon as we passed, there's no way that everyone in that wave of cars we were in were able to swerve past him.”

The victim, who has not yet been identified by police, died at the scene.

None of the other drivers in either crash were injured, according to police.

All five vehicles were impounded for safety checks. Anyone with information on the Sayville incident is asked to contact the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8552. Anyone with information on the Medford crash is asked to contact the Sixth Squad at 631-854-8652

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.