Suffolk County police said Thomas Smith was riding a Yamaha southbound on Longfellow Drive when he struck a Dodge that was backing up into a driveway shortly before 7 p.m.

Smith was thrown from the motorcycle and taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he was pronounced dead.

The other driver, 52-year-old Joseph Garraffa, was not injured.

Seventh Squad detectives impounded the vehicles, are continuing the investigation and ask anyone with information on the crash to contact them at 631-852-8752.

Suffolk County police said Henry Villegas was driving a Dodge northbound on North Ocean Avenue when he crossed into the opposite lane of traffic and struck a Volkswagen near Summerfield Drive at 12:40 p.m.

Villegas was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he was pronounced dead.

The other driver, 22-year-old Samantha Velez of Holtsville, was treated for non-life threatening injuries at the same hospital.

There were no passengers in either vehicle.

Fifth Squad detectives impounded the cars, are continuing the investigation and ask anyone with information about this crash to call them at 631-854-8552.

Justin Klein

A Medford man has been accused of driving while high on heroin in a crash that killed a 71-year-old woman in her hometown of East Patchogue on Wednesday evening.

Suffolk County police arrested Justin Klein and charged him with charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Court records indicate investigators found he was in possession of heroin at the time.

Police said the 23-year-old, who is employed by 84 Lumber, was driving a Chevrolet commercial pickup truck southbound on Sills Road when he struck a Chevrolet Classic at the corner of Gazzola Drive at 5:45 p.m.

The driver of that vehicle, Camille Ricciardo, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Klein was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

He will be arraigned Thursday at First District Court in Central Islip.

Vehicular Crime Unit detectives ask anyone with information about this crime to contact them 631-852-6555.

Suffolk County police said Bennie Demaro, 86, was making a left turn in his Cadillac from County Road 83 onto Canal Road when his vehicle was hit by a southbound Mazda pickup truck at 2:35 p.m.

His passenger, Salvatore Anselmo, was taken to John T. Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson where he was pronounced dead.

Demaro was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was listed in critical condition.

The Cadillac also struck a Dodge Magnum driven by 53-year-old Lauren Pedone of Port Jefferson Station. Neither she nor her 16-year-old son was injured.

The driver of the pickup truck, 27-year-old Timothy Grady of East Patchogue, was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Vehicular Crime Unit detectives impounded the vehicles, are continuing the investigation and ask anyone with information to contact them at 631-852-6555.

Suffolk County police said James Redman was walking on Old South Country Road when his 71-year-old neighbor, Lynn Leistman, backed into him with her Toyota Highlander at 12:45 p.m.

Redman was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he died shortly later. Leistman was not injured.

Fifth Squad detectives are continuing the investigation and ask that two other pedestrians walking on Old South Country Road at the time contact them at 631-854-8552.

Suffolk County police said Sophan Korur was crossing William Floyd Parkway when he was hit by a southbound Toyota Camry south of Montauk Highway at 7:17 p.m.

The victim was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he died shortly later.

The driver, 26-year-oldAngela Gonzalez of Patchogue, was not injured in the crash.

Seventh Squad detectives are continuing the investigation and ask anyone who may have witnessed the crash to contact them at 631-852-8752.

Salvatore Distefano

A Suffolk County police officer helping investigate a fatal car crash was injured when an alleged drunken driver rear-ended his patrol car in Patchogue on Sunday evening, authorities said.

The highway patrolman was at the scene of a crash that killed a 22-year-old driver on Sunrise Highway earlier the same day when Salvatore Distefano crashed his Chrysler into the cop car at 7:12 p.m., police said.

Police Officer Brian Smales had parked his car, with emergency lights activated, on the right shoulder of the express portion of the road in an attempt to make the scene safe for the search, police said.

Smales was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was treated for head, neck, back and leg injuries.

Distefano was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he was treated for facial lacerations.

The 29-year-old Central Islip man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, assault and violating New York State’s “Move Over Law” that requires drivers slow down and change lanes to safely pass an emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the road.

He will be arraigned Monday at First District Court in Central Islip.

Smales was at the scene of the crash that claimed the life of Colin Garrett of Patchogue and injured two of his passengers at 1:32 a.m. Sunday, police said.

Vehicular Crimes Unit detectives ask anyone with information regarding this crash involving Distefano to call them at 631-852-6295.

Suffolk County police said Jose R. Fuentes was crossing East Main Street at the corner of Conklin Avenue when he was struck by an eastbound Nissan Maxima at 8 p.m.

The victim was taken to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue where he was pronounced dead.

The driver, 25-year-old Jeremiah Day of Wyandanch, was not injured. His car was impounded for a safety check.

Fifth Squad detectives are investigating the circumstances of the crash and ask anyone with information about this case to contact them at 631-854-8552.

Merry Locurto had gone on the frozen creek behind her home around 3 p.m. after her dog, Blueberry, ran onto the ice, police said. At one point, Locurto fell through the ice but managed to find a small island in the creek where she got herself to shore.

Blueberry was rescued when a Good Samaritan in a kayak pulled the dog from the ice and brought the dog to the island. Suffolk County Marine Bureau officers were notified and pulled Locurto, Blueberry and the Good Samaritan onboard their vessel and returned to shore, police said.

Locurto received treatment at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue, police said, and the Good Samaritan took the uninjured pup back home.

Richard Crane, left, and Philip Mazzola

Two 21-year-old men have been accused of committing a string of home burglaries and attempted home burglaries in Patchogue and East Patchogue over the past month.

Suffolk County police officers arrested Philip Mazzola of Patchogue at 1 p.m. Thursday after stopping his Nissan Altima that matched the description of a car seen on Corbin Avenue at the time 911 callers reported a suspicious man in a backyard, authorities said.

Officers also arrested Richard Crane of Bellport while he was walking around the neighborhood a block away, police said.

Crane and Mazzola tried to burglarize another home on Shady Tree Lane in East Patchogue earlier the same day, police said.  They also allegedly burglarized a home on North Summit Street in Patchogue on Dec. 20 and two other houses in East Patchogue on Knot Street and Denise Drive on Jan. 8.

Crane and Mazzola were charged with three counts of burglary and two counts of attempted burglary. They will be arraigned Friday at First District Court in Central Islip.

Fifth Squad detectives believe the two men, who were knocking on neighborhood doors looking for unoccupied homes, might be responsible for other burglaries in the area in the same timeframe. The investigation is continuing.

Police ask anyone with information is asked to call anonymously to Crimes Stopper at 1-800-220-TIPS.  All Calls will be kept confidential.