Miller Place teen bicyclist dies after Route 25A crash in March

A Miller Place family is mourning after 14-year-old Andrew Salgado died from injuries suffered in a March 24 crash on Route 25A, a collision that kept him in Stony Brook University Hospital for more than a month.

Suffolk County Police Sixth Squad detectives said the crash happened about 3:20 p.m. near L Delea & Sons Sod Farms, at 696 Route 25A in Miller Place. Police said Timothy McLaughlin, 58, of Sound Beach, was driving a Ford F-550 XL Super Duty westbound when he moved into a turning lane to make a left turn into the business entrance.

Salgado was riding his bicycle eastbound on the shoulder, police said, when he struck the passenger side of the truck. He then fell from the bike and was run over by the rear passenger-side tires. McLaughlin stopped at the scene and called 911. Motor Carrier Safety Section officers inspected the vehicle at the scene, and detectives later confirmed Salgado died on April 30.

The fatal outcome has put a sharper spotlight on Route 25A, where cyclists, turning vehicles and heavy trucks share a narrow stretch of pavement. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data show light trucks were involved in 46% of bicyclist fatalities in 2021, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says bicyclists account for about 2% of motor-vehicle crash deaths overall. New York vehicle law generally requires bicyclists to ride near the right-hand curb or shoulder when practical, but allows exceptions, including when preparing for a left turn or avoiding unsafe conditions.

Salgado was identified in local reporting as a Miller Place High School soccer player and varsity athlete, and classmates and neighbors quickly rallied around the family with a fundraiser for his medical and recovery costs. Dozens of signs also appeared near the Miller Place Duck Pond as residents tried to support the Salgado family through the aftermath. For a community that uses Route 25A every day, the question now is whether a crash that turned fatal after weeks of hospitalization will force new urgency around protections for teen bicyclists on one of Suffolk County’s busiest roads.