What Happened
Charles Carrano, 19, of Center Moriches was killed Tuesday afternoon after his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck at the intersection of Montauk Highway and James Hawkins Road in Moriches, according to Newsday.
Carrano was operating a 2006 Honda motorcycle traveling eastbound on Montauk Highway when he struck a 2014 Ram 1500 pickup truck at the James Hawkins Road intersection at 12:42 p.m., Newsday reported, citing a Suffolk County Police news release. The impact proved fatal: Carrano was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.
The driver of the Ram 1500, a 27-year-old man from Moriches, was not injured in the collision, according to Newsday. Suffolk County Police have not announced any charges in connection with the crash as of Tuesday evening. Both the Honda motorcycle and the Ram 1500 were impounded following the collision for a safety check, a standard procedure in fatal crash investigations.
Suffolk County Police detectives from the Seventh Squad are investigating the crash and ask anyone with information to call 631-852-8752.
Location & Road Context
The crash occurred at the intersection of Montauk Highway and James Hawkins Road in Moriches, a stretch of roadway just west of Center Moriches High School and the Moriches Bypass. Montauk Highway is one of the primary surface arteries running east-west through Suffolk County, serving communities from Bay Shore to the East End and carrying a mix of local, commuter, and seasonal traffic. The proximity to a school and a major bypass junction makes the intersection a notable point of pedestrian and vehicle convergence.
Long Island Traffic’s local incident database has recorded 617 accidents in Suffolk County. Tuesday’s fatality comes on the same day as a separate crash on the Sagtikos State Parkway and follows a crash involving a child driving a vehicle that struck a grandmother the day prior, underscoring an active stretch for Suffolk roadway incidents.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
The investigation remains active and is being handled by the Suffolk County Police Department’s Seventh Squad. Both vehicles were impounded for a safety check, as Newsday reported, which is standard protocol in fatal motor vehicle crashes in New York State and can yield evidence about mechanical condition, speed, and braking. No charges have been announced as of this report. Detectives are asking anyone who witnessed the collision or has relevant information to contact the Seventh Squad directly at 631-852-8752.
Broader Impact
Motorcycle fatalities on Long Island’s surface roads — particularly along high-speed, multi-lane corridors like Montauk Highway — represent a disproportionate share of regional traffic deaths. Intersections along this route, where turning vehicles cross the path of through traffic, are among the most common crash scenarios for riders. Carrano was just 19 years old, making this loss especially acute for the Center Moriches community located directly adjacent to the crash scene.