What Happened
A drug-impaired driver struck a man standing in the HOV lane of the Long Island Expressway near Exit 50 in Melville at 5:50 a.m. Sunday, September 13, 2026, seriously injuring him, according to Suffolk County Police. Paven Putt Bhat, 27, of Center Moriches, had pulled to a stop in the eastbound HOV lane after his 2025 Nissan Altima struck the median. He stepped out of the vehicle to inspect the damage and was hit by an oncoming 2019 Honda Civic driven by Cristian Guevara, 28.
Guevara’s Honda struck Bhat in the HOV lane. Bhat was transported by ambulance to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip with serious injuries, per Long Island Life & Politics. Guevara and his passenger, John Hurtado-Conde, 31, of Flanders, were both allegedly found in possession of narcotics at the scene. Suffolk County Police arrested Guevara at the scene.
Guevara, 28, was charged with Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, and two counts of Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree. All charges stem from the events at Exit 50 on September 13, according to Suffolk County Police as reported by Long Island Life & Politics.
Hurtado-Conde was not the driver but faces parallel drug charges. He was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, and two counts of Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree. Suffolk County Police did not release the specific narcotics allegedly recovered from the vehicle.
The source article identifies Bhat’s hometown as Center Moriches, not Manorville, though the initial arrest headline referenced Manorville. Suffolk County Police have not publicly clarified that discrepancy. All other facts are drawn directly from the department’s account.
Location & Road Context
The crash unfolded on the Long Island Expressway eastbound HOV lane at Exit 50, the interchange for Bagatelle Road in Melville. That stretch of the LIE runs through a densely traveled commercial corridor in western Suffolk County. The HOV lane sits to the far left of the roadway, separated from general traffic, leaving a driver or pedestrian standing there exposed to approaching vehicles traveling at highway speed.
Exit 50 is one of the busier interchanges in that section of the expressway. Prior fatal crashes on the LIE near Manorville earlier in 2026 have involved vehicles leaving the travel lanes entirely; Sunday’s incident involved a secondary pedestrian strike after an initial median collision.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Guevara and Hurtado-Conde were held overnight at the Third Precinct following the arrest Sunday morning. Both are scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip on September 14, 2026. Suffolk County Police have not announced whether additional charges are pending or whether Bhat’s condition has changed since transport to Good Samaritan University Hospital.
The DWAI-drugs charge against Guevara carries penalties under VTL § 1192.4 for a first offense, including fines up to $500, a possible jail term of up to 15 days, and a six-month license revocation. The felony-level controlled substance charges under New York Penal Law carry substantially heavier exposure and are the more consequential counts Guevara faces at arraignment.
Broader Impact
A driver stopped in an active highway travel lane after a collision is exposed to exactly the secondary-strike scenario that unfolded here. New York law requires drivers to move a disabled vehicle off the roadway when safely possible under VTL § 1144-a. Whether Bhat’s Altima was movable after striking the median is not addressed in the Suffolk County Police account.