Police: Pedestrian, 86, killed in hit-run crash in Central Islip

An 86-year-old man was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver early Friday in Central Islip, Suffolk County police said.

Willie Dinkins had just left a nearby McDonald’s restaurant and was crossing from the north to the south side of Suffolk Avenue when he was hit, Det. Sgt. James Madden of the major case unit said.

Police received a 911 call at 1:58 a.m. reporting a body on Suffolk Avenue, 100 yards west of Wheeler Road.

The vehicle involved is believed to be a four-door Honda Civic sedan, a 2001 to 2005 model, that’s missing its black side-view mirror on the driver’s side, police said. The car’s color is not known, police said.

Dinkins, whom Madden said was renting lodging nearby, was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Madden said he couldn’t say for sure what time Dinkins was hit, but that Suffolk Avenue is a main road which is “well-traveled” even at that early hour of the morning.

Investigators are “canvassing the area for witnesses and reviewing video from businesses in the area,” he said, looking “to tighten up the timeline.”

He asked anyone with information on the crash, as well as anyone in the area at the time, to reach out to the major case unit at 631-852-6555 or Suffolk Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-8477. All calls will be kept confidential.