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The driver critically injured when his vehicle slammed into a vacant storefront in downtown Patchogue early Monday has died, police and a local nonprofit confirmed.
Suffolk Police said Scott Letizia, 42, of Patchogue succumbed to the massive injuries he suffered when his car barreled across Main Street and down South Ocean Avenue before crashing head-on into the shuttered Richard York shoe store property. The impact crumpled brick walls and left the building with extensive structural damage; it also left the 2017 Honda Accord Letizia was driving unrecognizable.
It remains unclear what caused Letizia, known to friends and family as “Scottie,” to speed and lose control of the car. Surveillance cameras captured video of the Honda careening across Main Street, narrowly missing a Suffolk Transit bus and a car stopped at a red light less than a second before hitting the building.
The founder of Angels of Long Island, where Letizia was a loyal volunteer, announced his death in a tribute posted Tuesday.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that Scottie has passed away,” wrote Angels founder Debbie Loesch. “Scott was a devoted volunteer at Angels of Long Island and will be remembered as a remarkable individual. We are all shocked and saddened by this tragic news.”
Loesch also urged the public to avoid speculation, noting that family members confirmed Letizia suffered a medical emergency shortly after leaving his home around 5:30 a.m. Toxicology tests, she said, showed no drugs or alcohol in his system.
Authorities have not confirmed this information.
Letizia had married in March and recently purchased a home with his wife near Canaan Lake in Patchogue. The nonprofit asked the community to keep his family in their prayers as they await guidance on how best to support them.
Police have not yet released additional details about the crash investigation.
Top: (left) Scott Letizia (Facebook/Debbie Loesch) and (right) the accident scene on Monday in downtown Patchogue.
