Melissa Turner, 54, of Bohemia killed when electric bike collides with SUV, cops say

Lakeland Avenue in Bohemia was closed while police investigated a collision... — Lakeland Avenue in Bohemia was closed while police investigated a collision between an electric bicycle and a sport utility vehicle Saturday afternoon. Credit: Bryan Lopez

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smithtiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com @T_CusaacUpdated July 23, 2023

A Long Island woman riding an electric bike in Bohemia was killed in a crash with a Ford Bronco on Saturday afternoon, Suffolk County police said.

Melissa Turner, 54, of Bohemia, was traveling south on the shoulder of Lakeland Avenue, south of Smithtown Avenue when she collided with the front of the Ford traveling in the southbound right lane around 2 p.m., police said.

Turner was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the Ford was not injured, police said in a statement.

A police investigation is ongoing.

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com @T_Cusaac

Education: Howard University

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation; New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting; Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.

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