Are local roads safe?

An Elmont woman was struck and killed by a van on Nov. 17 while walking on Meacham Avenue, near G Street.

Nancy Stanzione, 64, who worked as a flight attendant, was walking north in the roadway — possibly trying to cross the street — at 7:25 p.m. when she was struck by a 2003 Ford van traveling north on Meacham toward Hempstead Turnpike, according to Nassau County police.

After being transported to Franklin Hospital Medical Center, Stanzione was pronounced dead at 7:49 p.m.
Police said they did not have information on how fast the van was traveling when it hit Stanzione, but added that they had no suspicion of criminality. The van was impounded for safety checks, police said, and its driver — whose identity was not released — was not charged.

In the wake of the accident, some local residents expressed concern about the safety of local roads and the sometimes excessive speeds of drivers who use them.

In February, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign named Hempstead Turnpike — which intersects Meacham Avenue on the west side of Elmont — the most dangerous road in the tri-state area. “They are scared to cross our major roadways here, whether it’s crossing near Meacham Avenue or farther down Hempstead Turnpike,” Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) said in February.

According to the Town of Hempstead, the speed limit is 30 mph for the entire length of Meacham Avenue.

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