Hempstead Turnpike Rated Deadliest Road for Pedestrians

A recent report by the Tri-State Transportation Corporation (TSTC) rated Hempstead Turnpike as the most dangerous road in the region.

According to the report, which can be reviewed here, 15 pedestrians were killed along Hempstead Turnpike between the years of 2008 and 2010. That number is more than double the amount of fatalities along Sunrise Highway (seven) and five times the number along Merrick Road (three) during that stretch.

According to the map, there were two pedestrian deaths in Levittown during that stretch, both along Hempstead Turnpike. An 18-year-old female was killed on Dec. 30, 2008 and a 49-year-old male was killed on Feb. 19, 2010.

There was another Levittown fatality outside of the time frame of the study. 19-year-old Island Trees High School student Peter Thearle was killed crossing Hempstead Turnpike at Gardiners Avenue on June 6, 2011.

Two other Levittown residents were killed while crossing streets in Suffolk County. 29-year-old Loren Calzarano was killed crossing Commack Road in Deer Park on June 14, 2011. 26-year-old medical student James Walker was struck crossing Union Boulevard in Bay Shore on Oct. 16, 2011. He died five days later.

What do you think contributes to pedestrians being struck on Hempstead Turnpike? Tell us in the comments.