The Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC) recently released its list of the most deadly roads in Nassau County, with Hempstead Turnpike (Route 24), Sunrise Highway (Route 27) and Merrick Road topping the infamous list.
According to the TSTC, 27 of the 91 pedestrian deaths from 2008 to 2010 occurred on one of the three aforementioned roadways.
The TSTC's report deemed Route 24 the most dangerous road in the region, which includes downstate New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
The report, which was an analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, concluded that a majority of pedestrian fatalities on Route 24 occurred in Franklin Square, West Hempstead, Hempstead and East Meadow.
A total of 15 deaths were reported on Hempstead Turnpike during the three year stretch, while seven were reported on Sunrise Highway — which was ranked as the third most dangerous road in the region behind Upper Broadway in Manhattan — and five on Merrick Road.
According to William Reynolds, Director of Communications with the New York State Department of Transportation, Commissioner Joan McDonald has directed her staff to conduct traffic safety studies and implement improvements at various locations in the New York metro area.
"We have already initiated actions to improve the safety of Hempstead Turnpike," Reynolds said. "... In line with our focus on pedestrian safety, we will be taking a close look at conditions on Sunrise Highway, as we do with all major roadways, and determine what actions need to be taken. We will continue to focus on improving safety for all roadway users."
While the TSTC's report is through 2010, 2011 was not much better for the roadways. Back in April, a 63-year-old Bellmore woman was struck and killed by a police car on Merrick Road. Just two weeks later, a 64-year-old man was killed on Sunrise Highway after being struck by a hit-and-run driver.
In July, a 50-year-old male pedestrian was killed on Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow after a Hempstead Town Public Safety Officer allegedly while driving drunk.
