Questions linger after two fatal fiery crashes at Sunken Meadow toll plaza

State police still haven’t identified either driver killed a week apart at the same parkway toll booths

Two drivers are dead, killed in car wrecks a week apart at the same North Shore toll booth, and authorities still aren’t saying who they were.

New York State Police have not publicly identified either driver killed in fiery, one-vehicle crashes at the Sunken Meadow State Parkway toll plaza on Sept. 14 and Sept. 21.

Greater Long Island reached out to state police seeking the identities of both drivers and asking whether investigators have found any other similarities between the two crashes. As of Thursday afternoon, state police had not responded.

Police also have not cited a possible cause for either crash or said whether the two are connected.

The first crash happened about 11:14 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, when a vehicle struck the toll booth area at the northern end of the parkway, near the entrance to Sunken Meadow State Park, and caught fire, police said. The driver, the car’s only occupant, died.

The fire was so severe that neither the victim nor the vehicle was identified in the initial police report.

One week later, about 1:04 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, troopers responded to a nearly identical crash at the same toll plaza.

A preliminary investigation found that vehicle also crashed into the toll booth area and became engulfed in flames, police said. One occupant was found dead inside.

Members of the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded to the second crash, along with the New York State Park Police, the Kings Park Fire Department and Suffolk Police.

Greater Long Island will update this story with any responses or updates from police.

_{Top: Mike White/GLI}