What Happened
A 40-year-old woman died Aug. 21 after losing control of her SUV in a driveway on Elinor Road, according to Nassau County police. The SUV struck a tree, then a parked car, before going into a backyard in-ground pool, Patch (Five Towns) reported, citing police. Patch reported that police put the time at 9:29 a.m. Greater Long Island later reported the crash happened about 10:30 a.m. The police account is the official record.
VINnews reported, citing police, that the woman was driving a 2023 GMC. VINnews said the parked vehicle she struck was an unoccupied 2006 Honda.
Police said the woman was taken out of the vehicle before officers arrived, according to Patch. Officers tried life-saving measures, and she was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Police did not identify her that day and said the investigation was ongoing.
VINnews reported that a source familiar with the family told JNS the woman did not drown. According to that source, she was able to call for help after the crash and died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Greater Long Island reported that sources close to the investigation told the New York Post she likely had a medical episode before the crash. GLI also reported that authorities ruled her death an accident and found no sign of foul play.
GLI reported that a fundraising campaign for a foundation formed in her memory had raised $288,375 from nearly 400 supporters. The foundation plans to fund tutoring scholarships, extracurricular activity scholarships, teacher grants and other programs for children.
What we don’t know yet: Nassau County authorities have not publicly released an official medical determination of what caused the driver to lose control, and they have not said whether the accident ruling came from the Medical Examiner or from investigators alone.