2 Long Island men identified as drivers in fatal crashes, a week apart, at Sunken Meadow State Park

Law enforcement is shedding new light on two fiery crashes last month that killed two drivers at the Sunken Meadow State Park toll booths in Kings Park a week apart.

 State police Tuesday released the identities of both victims.

The driver killed in the first crash has been identified as Vijay P. Cheema, 74, of Fort Salonga. The driver killed in the second crash, which took place just after 1 p.m. on Sept. 21, has been identified as Gregory Salone, 70, of Kings Park.

In a statement Tuesday to Newsday, state police said the first crash, which occurred at about 11:15 a.m. on Sept. 14, has been determined to have been a suicide. But police said the investigation so far shows the drivers didn't know each other and there is no apparent link between the two.

Trooper Brittany Burton said Tuesday: "We do know the two incidents are unrelated — and that the two drivers did not know each other." But, Burton added, investigators still have not ruled out that the second crash may have been a suicide.

Officials did not elaborate on how they determined the first crash was a suicide. The speed limit approaching the toll plaza is 30 mph. Burton did not immediately know how fast the vehicles were traveling when they slammed into the toll plaza.

State police said due to the horrific nature of the two crashes, the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office needed to use dental records and DNA to positively identify the victims, causing delays in the identification process.

Family members of the two victims could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

The toll booth plaza, located at the northern terminus of Sunken Meadow Parkway, consists of five brick booths and six travel lanes. The plaza, which marks the entrance to Sunken Meadow State Park, was built in 1958. State officials said the booths and nearby control building for the toll plaza were reconstructed and updated in late 2017.

Officials have not provided records for any prior accidents at the location, but state officials and veteran law enforcement officers said they could not recall other fatal crashes at the plaza in recent decades, let alone two in one week.

The toll booths were not occupied at the time of either crash and no one else was injured.

State police said Cheema's vehicle hit the two end tolls booths, Booths 4 and 5, and burst into flames. Firefighters from the Kings Park Fire Department responded, extinguishing the blaze.

Following that Sept. 14 crash, parks officials said barricades were erected in front of the damaged booths, blocking those travel lanes.

On Sept. 21, the vehicle driven by Salone crashed into those barricades and into the booths, erupting in a fiery explosion.

Firefighters from Kings Park put out that blaze, officials said.

On Tuesday, the Long Island regional director for New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, George Gorman, said the state has hired a consulting firm to assess the damage to the toll plaza. A contractor will disassemble the damaged booths to assess their structural integrity and determine how best to reconstruct the plaza and enhance safety, he said.

Officials hope to complete that work by Memorial Day and the 2027 summer season.

For now, officials said, the damaged booths and their travel lanes remain cordoned off. The two undamaged booths remain open.

In a statement following the second crash, state parks officials said: "There are 5 booths at the entrance, with 6 lanes, and a control building. Booths 4 and 5 were heavily damaged and were affected by the fire of the first incident, with minor apparent damaged to Booth 3.

"In the most recent incident, the car impacted the protective bollard in front of the Lane 5 booth. A full damage assessment, cost estimates and a repair timetable will require a detailed engineering assessment, which is now underway. The booths are primarily staffed during the peak season, and were not occupied at the time of either incident."

With AP

EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

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.