Police and rescue workers at the scene of a fatal...

Police and rescue workers at the scene of a fatal crash on Northern Boulevard and Moores Hill Road in Lauren Hollow on Aug. 12, 2023. Credit: James Staubitser

It was one of Long Island’s deadliest months on the roads in more than a decade.

Among the 32 victims of fatal crashes in August 2023: children buckled into an idling cars, a 22-year-old jogging with siblings and an 82-year-old cyclist. The first weekend set a gruesome tone, with 11 people dying in seven crashes during a 58-hour stretch. Seven, including four young children, died in a 20-hour period.

The passage of two years has done little to alleviate grief and confusion over the deaths. A Newsday investigation looks deeply at the damage left behind. 

Victims' family members say they still struggle with the randomness that determined their loved ones’ fates. The map below shows the geographic breadth of the fatal crashes during that deadly month.

Thanksgiving travel forecast ... USPS price increase ... Out East: Kent Animal Shelter  Credit: Newsday

NYPD officer shot ... Thanksgiving travel forecast ... Smith Point bridge weight restriction ... Marketing Matt Schaefer

Thanksgiving travel forecast ... USPS price increase ... Out East: Kent Animal Shelter  Credit: Newsday

NYPD officer shot ... Thanksgiving travel forecast ... Smith Point bridge weight restriction ... Marketing Matt Schaefer

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months

ACT NOWSALE ENDS SOON | CANCEL ANYTIME