Sandra Leon of Hempstead killed in Shirley crash, police say; several others hurt
Suffolk County police probe a deadly crash in which one adult in the vehicle, left, was killed after a collision with a second vehicle (not seen) on Montauk Highway, west of Smith Road in Shirley, Tuesday, July 7, 2015. Credit: James Carbone
A Hempstead woman was killed and several others were injured when a van and truck going in opposite directions crashed Tuesday afternoon on Montauk Highway in Shirley, Suffolk police said.
Sandra Leon, 46, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, after the eastbound truck swerved across the roadway and struck the van with her and eight others inside, causing it to flip over.
A young boy in the van was critically injured, police said. The driver of the van, Nieves Rivera, 37, of Patchogue, and the other passengers in the van had nonlife-threatening injuries, police said.
The driver of the truck, Gerard Demelfi, 28, of Shirley, suffered nonlife-threatening injuries, police said. All of the injured were taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue and Stony Brook University Hospital.
The vehicles were impounded for a safety check, and the investigation is continuing, police said.
New hope for justice Theresa Cerney's killing is one of at least 66 cases of dead women being reviewed by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney's new cold case unit. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn and Newsday investigative reporter Sandra Peddie have this exclusive story.
New hope for justice Theresa Cerney's killing is one of at least 66 cases of dead women being reviewed by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney's new cold case unit. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn and Newsday investigative reporter Sandra Peddie have this exclusive story.
