NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Two pedestrians were killed in separate vehicular crashes on Long Island Monday evening, one in Suffolk County and the other in Nassau County.
Evan Espinosa, of Medford, was walking in the roadway of Middle Country Road near Martin Street in Coram at 10:07 p.m. when he was struck by an eastbound 2011 Cadillac SRX4, according to SCPD.
Espinosa, 33, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The vehicle’s operator – Christian Dilone, 38, of Port Jefferson Station – was uninjured and the vehicle was impounded for a safety check, said SCPD.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call Sixth Squad at 631-854-8625.
Earlier Monday evening, at 7:27 p.m. in Hempstead, an unidentified male pedestrian was struck by a southbound 2006 Nissan Ultima on Peninsula Boulevard near President Street, said NCPD.
The pedestrian suffered from severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead by a hospital physician.
The 33-year-old male driver stayed at the scene, and no other injuries were reported, according to NCPD.
The investigation regarding the crash is ongoing.
These crashes come during a time of rising traffic deaths on Long Island, which, according to Newsday, are up 29% when comparing data from 2019 to 2022.
According to research by the Institute for Safety Management and Research, Suffolk County suffered 49 fatal crashes involving pedestrians in 2022 while Nassau County suffered 22.