What Happened
A 49-year-old North Lindenhurst man was seriously injured Friday night after a Toyota Prius struck him while he rode an e-bike through a crosswalk at the intersection of Straight Path and Route 109, according to a press release from the Suffolk County Police Department.
Jose Hernandez was driving a 2012 Toyota Prius southbound in the right lane on Straight Path at 8:06 p.m. when the vehicle struck Gregory Dotson, who was traveling westbound on a Hunter Pro e-bike through the southwest crosswalk of the intersection. Police say Hernandez was passing through a green light at the moment of impact.
Dotson, 49, of North Lindenhurst, sustained serious injuries in the collision. The full extent of his injuries was not detailed in the initial Suffolk County Police Department press release. Suffolk County Police First Squad detectives have taken over the investigation.
The crash occurred in the evening hours, roughly 40 minutes after sunset on a mid-July night, meaning ambient light at the intersection would have been diminishing at the time. Police have not yet confirmed whether lighting conditions or e-bike visibility were contributing factors.
Location & Road Context
The intersection of Straight Path and Route 109 sits in North Lindenhurst, a hamlet in the Town of Babylon in southwestern Suffolk County. Straight Path is a north-south arterial running through the heart of the Lindenhurst area, and its crossing with Route 109 — a major east-west commercial corridor — is a busy, signalized junction surrounded by retail and residential uses. Crosswalk infrastructure exists at the intersection, as evidenced by Dotson’s use of the designated southwest crosswalk at the time of the crash.
Incidents involving vulnerable road users — cyclists, e-bike riders, and pedestrians — at high-volume arterial intersections have become an increasingly documented concern across Suffolk County. Our local incident database contains 600 recorded accidents in Suffolk County, reflecting the volume and variety of crashes across the region.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Suffolk County Police First Squad detectives are actively investigating the circumstances of the crash. As of the department’s press release, no charges against driver Jose Hernandez had been filed. The fact that Hernandez reportedly had a green light is a significant factor that investigators will weigh alongside Dotson’s lawful use of the marked crosswalk.
Under New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, a driver proceeding through a green signal still bears a duty of care toward pedestrians and crosswalk users, including e-bike riders lawfully crossing with traffic controls. The investigation’s outcome — and whether any charges follow — will likely hinge on that legal question. The Suffolk County Police Department has not released a timeline for completing the inquiry.
Broader Impact
This crash follows a motorized scooter crash the previous day, July 10, in which the operator was seriously injured and arrested, underscoring a pattern of serious injuries involving small electric and motorized two-wheelers on Long Island roads in consecutive days. E-bikes, which can legally travel in crosswalks in certain configurations under New York law, occupy a legally ambiguous space that frequently puts riders in conflict with turning or signal-timed vehicle traffic — precisely the scenario that unfolded at Straight Path and Route 109.
Updates
- Jul 11, 2026: Additional reporting merged into this article: “E-bike rider Gregory Dotson, of Wyandanch, seriously hurt in crash with car in North Lidenhurst, police say” (source)