Sunken Meadow State Park reopens after deadly crash
An SUV enters a toll booth Tuesday at Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park. The toll both partially reopened Tuesday after being closed since a fatal crash Monday damaged a section of the structure. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Sunken Meadow State Park was reopened to the public Tuesday, a day after a fatal car crash and fire near its entrance caused police to close it.
George Gorman, Long Island regional director for state parks, told Newsday the park reopened late Monday following a state police investigation into the crash.
About 11:15 a.m. Monday, police responded to a report of a car crashing into the toll plaza of the multiuse facility in Kings Park that borders Long Island Sound. The vehicle was engulfed in flames and the driver was killed, officials said.
Due to the extent of the damage, state police said they could not immediately identify the driver or type of vehicle left charred in the wreckage.
Additional information about the crash, including the vehicle's speed at the time of the crash, was not immediately available late Tuesday.
The park was closed to the public and reopened late Monday after engineers inspected the toll booth structure and determined it was safe.
The booth at the far left of the structure, one of four at the park's entrance, is the most damaged and will be renovated, Gorman said.
The toll booth area was built in the 1950s and renovated about 10 years ago, he said.
More coverage: Every 7 minutes on average a traffic crash causing death, injury or significant property damage happens on Long Island. A Newsday investigation found that traffic crashes killed more than 2,100 people between 2014 and 2023 and seriously injured more than 16,000 people. To search for fatal crashes in your area, click here.
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep. 7: Guardian Caps in high school football Gregg Sarra sounds off on Guardian Caps being worn in high school football, Tess Ferguson looks at the final week of the high school fantasy football regular season and Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week.
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep. 7: Guardian Caps in high school football Gregg Sarra sounds off on Guardian Caps being worn in high school football, Tess Ferguson looks at the final week of the high school fantasy football regular season and Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week.
