East Northport man dies after Deer Park crash, police suspect medical event

Deer Park Avenue turned fatal just north of Weston Avenue when a northbound 2009 Honda Pilot came to rest on the center median against a metal road sign, a scene that drew a passing motorist’s 911 call and set off a death investigation in Suffolk County.

Suffolk County police said the call came in at about 9:22 p.m. April 12, after a driver heading north on Deer Park Avenue spotted the SUV on the median. First Precinct patrol officers responded and removed the driver, Jose Hernandez-Escobar, 52, of East Northport, from the vehicle.

Hernandez-Escobar, who was the sole occupant of the Honda Pilot, was taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, where he was pronounced dead. Police said detectives believe he may have suffered a medical event before the crash, a detail that shifts the case away from a routine traffic collision and toward a possible medical emergency behind the wheel.

The SUV was impounded for a safety check as First Squad detectives took over the investigation. Police have not said whether any other vehicles were involved, and the initial report points to a single-vehicle crash that ended with the Honda on the median near one of Deer Park Avenue’s busier stretches.

The location matters to anyone who uses the corridor daily. Deer Park Avenue carries steady north-south traffic through the heart of the community, and this crash unfolded in a place where a passing motorist was able to spot the disabled vehicle and call for help quickly. In cases like this, that first call can be the difference between a rescue and a fatal delay.

Suffolk County police said crash reports are typically available through the department’s system 7 to 10 business days after the incident. As detectives continue to piece together what happened near Weston Avenue, the investigation now hinges on medical findings, the vehicle inspection and any witness accounts of how the Honda Pilot left the roadway.