3 dead, 4 injured in 6 Suffolk County crashes

Three people died Wednesday and four more were treated at hospitals for serious injuries after separate crashes in Suffolk County, police said.

About 2:50 p.m., Ralph Mims lost control of a 2003 GMC Yukon while heading west on Montauk Highway in East Moriches, the Suffolk County Police Department said in a news release. Mims, 48, of Central Islip, struck a guardrail along the roadway near Bay Avenue and was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. 

The SUV, which appeared to have damage to the driver's side, sat facing the wrong way in the eastbound lane. It was impounded for a safety inspection, police said. 

That crash followed five others Wednesday in which two people were killed and four others seriously injured.

About 7:50 a.m. in Bohemia, the driver of a 2024 Nissan Pathfinder, attempting to make a left turn from Peter Lane onto southbound Lakeland Avenue, collided with a 2004 Kawasaki motorcycle heading north on Lakeland, Suffolk police said.

The motorcyclist, Daniel Javurek, 39, of Sayville, was transported to NYU Langone Hospital—Suffolk where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The 41-year-old driver of the Nissan was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Both vehicles were impounded.

A 15-year-old East Northport boy riding a Jasion e-bike was critically injured after crashing into a school minibus in Huntington at about 4:45 p.m., police said.

The crash occurred as the boy was riding north on Broadway and his e-bike struck the westbound minibus at the intersection of Little Plains Road.

The teen, whom police did not identify, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip with critical injuries. The occupants of the minibus, which included the driver, a passenger and a monitor, were uninjured.

Also on Wednesday afternoon, the driver of a 2007 Toyota and her female passenger suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries when the vehicle collided with a dump truck in Coram, according to Suffolk police. The Toyota's driver, Tanya Fernandez, 39, of Coram, and the passenger, Laura Thiele, 37, of Centereach, were transported to Stony Brook University Hospital. Updates on their condition were not available late Wednesday.

Just after 5 a.m., a pedestrian was struck and killed in Brentwood by a car heading south on Washington Avenue.

Police said Melody Quinones, 21, of Brentwood, was struck at 5:10 a.m. by a 2010 Volkswagen. She was transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, where she died of her injuries, according to police.

The male driver was not injured and remained at the scene.

As of Wednesday afternoon, an 84-year-old Lindenhurst woman remained hospitalized at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip after she was hit about 7:36 a.m. by a 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander as she walked across Montauk Highway in Copiague, according to police.

The driver of the Outlander, Frederick Finger, 74, of Copiague, struck the woman as he attempted to make a left turn from South Strong Avenue onto Montauk Highway, police said.

Finger was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. He was issued a court appearance ticket.

Newsday's Nicholas Grasso contributed to this story.