A Community in Mourning: The Death of Andrew Salgado and What Every Long Island Family Must Know About Bicycle Safety and Legal Rights

Published by Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers | Personal Injury Attorneys Serving Nassau and Suffolk County, Long Island

On March 24, 2026, fourteen-year-old Andrew Salgado set out on his bicycle along Route 25A in Miller Place, Suffolk County — and never came home. Andrew was riding his bicycle eastbound on the shoulder when a Ford F-550 truck, turning left into a sod farm at 696 Route 25A, merged into the turning lane directly in his path. Andrew struck the passenger side door of the truck, fell from his bicycle, and was run over by the vehicle’s rear tires.

He was rushed to Stony Brook University Hospital in critical condition. For over five weeks, Andrew fought — and his community fought with him. Classmates, friends, and neighbors filled the wrought iron fence along the Miller Place Duck Pond, just feet from his school, North Country Middle School, with messages of encouragement. A GoFundMe launched within hours of the crash raised nearly $27,000 in its first eleven hours alone.

On April 30, 2026, Andrew lost his battle. He was 14 years old.

His brother described him as “the strongest kid he’s ever met.” His travel soccer team, Strong Island FC, announced they will retire his jersey number 44, saying “heartbroken is an understatement.”

Wake services are being held today, Monday, May 4th, at Branch Funeral Home in Miller Place.

To the Salgado family and the entire Miller Place community: we are deeply sorry for your loss.

Why We Are Writing This

At Rosenberg & Rodriguez Personal Injury Lawyers, we represent families across Long Island — families who, in their most vulnerable moments, need both compassionate guidance and fierce legal advocacy. We are writing this because Andrew’s death is a painful reminder that bicycle accidents on Long Island’s roadways are preventable — and when negligence is involved, families have legal rights that must be protected.

The Danger of Long Island’s Roads for Cyclists

Route 25A through Suffolk County is a high-speed, high-volume corridor. It was not designed with vulnerable road users — cyclists, pedestrians, and children — in mind. Andrew Salgado’s tragedy is not an isolated incident.

According to the New York State Department of Transportation, Long Island consistently ranks among the most dangerous regions in New York State for bicycle fatalities. The combination of wide commercial roadways, high truck traffic, and inadequate dedicated cycling infrastructure creates lethal conditions — particularly for young riders.

Key contributing factors in bicycle-vehicle crashes include:

• Drivers failing to yield when making turns across active shoulders or bike lanes

• Inadequate sight lines at commercial driveways and farm entrances

• Large commercial vehicles (like the Ford F-550 involved here) with elevated blind spots and extended rear axle overhangs

• Lack of signage warning drivers of cyclists on rural and semi-rural routes

• Absence of protected bike infrastructure on corridors like Route 25A

What New York Law Says About Bicycle Accidents

New York law provides meaningful protections and remedies for bicycle accident victims and their families. Here is what every Long Island family should know:

1. Wrongful Death Claims Under EPTL § 5-4.1

Under New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law § 5-4.1, the personal representative of a decedent’s estate may bring a wrongful death action where the death was caused by the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another party. Recoverable damages include the economic value of the decedent’s future contributions to the family, as well as conscious pain and suffering experienced prior to death.

2. Driver Duty of Care to Cyclists — VTL § 1146

Under New York Vehicle & Traffic Law § 1146, every motor vehicle operator must exercise due care to avoid colliding with any bicyclist upon any roadway. This duty is heightened when a driver is executing a turn across a shoulder or bike lane. A driver who fails to check for approaching cyclists before initiating a turn may be found negligent per se.

3. Commercial Vehicle Liability

When the vehicle involved is a commercial truck — as in Andrew’s case — there may be additional layers of liability, including the truck driver’s employer, the company that owns the vehicle, and potentially entities responsible for the maintenance of the vehicle. Under New York respondeat superior doctrine and federal trucking regulations (49 C.F.R. Part 390 et seq.), commercial operators are held to a higher standard of care.

4. Municipal Liability for Dangerous Road Conditions

Where a dangerous roadway condition — such as the absence of a protected bike lane, lack of signage, or deficient shoulder design — contributed to the crash, municipalities may bear liability under General Municipal Law § 50-e and § 50-i, provided timely notice of claim requirements are satisfied. This is a critical and often-overlooked avenue of recovery.

Notice of Claim Deadline: In New York, a Notice of Claim against a municipality must be filed within 90 days of the incident. This deadline is strict and largely non-waivable. If you believe a road defect contributed to a bicycle accident, contact a Long Island bicycle accident lawyer immediately.