One person killed, three hurt in Southern State Parkway crash in West Hempstead, police say
State Police at the scene of a fatal crash that occurred on the westbound Southern State Parkway in West Hempstead. Credit: Paul Mazza
A Queens man was killed and three passengers in his car were injured in a one-vehicle crash Monday night on the westbound Southern State Parkway in West Hempstead, State Police said.
Police said the vehicle, an Infiniti, was traveling west "at a high rate of speed" when the driver, identified as Jeffrey Laroche, 27, of Springfield Gardens, Queens, attempted to change lanes, lost control, and crashed about 8:30 p.m. Police said the car struck the center median guide rail between Exit 18, Eagle Avenue, and Exit 17, Hempstead Avenue, hit trees, then careened back onto the roadway, overturning and ejecting Laroche.
Laroche was taken to Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, where he was pronounced dead.
Front seat passenger Jayda Moultrie, 21, of Hempstead, had to be extricated from the vehicle and was taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside with unknown injuries, police said. One rear seat passenger, identified by police as Nicole Walter, 20, of Laurelton, was taken to NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola with a broken pelvis, while police said the other rear-seat passenger, identified as Nathaly Walter, 18, of Laurelton, was taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau with unknown injuries.
Nassau County police and members of the Lakeview Fire Department also went to the scene.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation and police are asking anyone with information to contact investigators at 631-756-3300.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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