Owen McKeown, 19, killed when his SUV hits pole, downing wires in Bay Shore
The scene of the crash on Orinoco Drive in West Bay Shore on Friday morning. Credit: Joseph Sperber
A Bay Shore man was killed when the SUV he drove struck a utility pole early Friday in Bay Shore, Suffolk County police said.
Owen McKeown, 19, was driving a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek east on Orinoco Drive around 4:05 a.m. when the SUV hit the pole, knocking down wires and rolling onto a commercial property at 655 Orinoco Dr., police said in a news release.
PSEG reported some minor outages in the area, which were cleared by late morning.
The drive was reopened shortly before 7 p.m. It had been closed between Mystic Oak Drive and Ridgeway Boulevard as crew worked to repair the downed pole and wires.
McKeown was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic from Bay Shore Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance. The Subaru was impounded for a safety check.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to contact the Third Squad at 631-854-8352.
More coverage: Every 7 minutes on average a traffic crash causing death, injury or significant property damage happens on Long Island. A Newsday investigation found that traffic crashes killed more than 2,100 people between 2014 and 2023 and seriously injured more than 16,000 people. To search for fatal crashes in your area, click here.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
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