A 28-year-old mother tried to grab her 2-year-old son and pull him out of the path of a heavy-duty truck on Conklin Street in downtown Farmingdale Wednesday afternoon, but both were struck anyway, according to police. The boy suffered a leg injury and his mother sustained hip and leg injuries; both were taken to a local hospital for treatment, and their conditions have not been released.
The crash happened around 3:51 p.m. near 416 Conklin Street, between Main Street and Elizabeth Street in Farmingdale's downtown business district, according to PIX11. Police say the 2-year-old ran into the roadway near that address before the truck struck him, and that his mother tried to grab him just before he was hit. As reported by Newsday, the crash unfolded on a stretch of the corridor that doubles as an active commercial strip lined with local stores and heavy pedestrian traffic.
The driver, identified by police as 27-year-old Elvin Majano Diaz, was taken into custody after continuing to drive the 1998 Peterbilt truck following the collision, per police. He is charged with leaving the scene of an incident with injury. Police issued him an appearance ticket rather than holding him in custody, and he must return to court in Hempstead on August 21.
What the Charge Carries Under State Law
Leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury without reporting it is classified as a Class A misdemeanor under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 600(2)(a) when the injuries are not classified as serious, according to The Shelton Law Firm. That charge carries penalties of up to one year in jail, fines up to $1,000, and a mandatory license revocation of at least six months. The firm notes the charge can be elevated to a Class E felony if injuries meet the statutory definition of serious physical injury or if the driver has prior convictions.
The truck itself was impounded for a brake and safety check, per police, and the investigation remains ongoing. That inspection falls under the purview of the Nassau County Police Department's specialized Motor Carrier Safety Unit, which was awarded a $1.99 million grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to conduct commercial vehicle inspections and reduce large truck crashes. Whether mechanical failure played any role alongside the hit-and-run allegation has not been determined.
A Dangerous Stretch of Road With a History
Conklin Street is also state-designated New York Route 24, part of an 18.6-mile western segment of the highway that runs from Queens through Nassau County to Route 110 in East Farmingdale, according to background compiled by Wikipedia. The corridor functions simultaneously as a village shopping strip and a commercial freight route, a dual use that has produced hazards before. In July 2025, a pedestrian was killed after being struck by a cement truck on the same street, according to Silva Injury Law.
The crash also lands amid a broader rise in pedestrian crashes across Nassau County. Countywide, pedestrian-involved crashes rose 16% from 2022 to 2023, climbing from 418 crashes with 15 fatalities to 485 crashes with 17 fatalities, per The Long Island Advocate. More recently, Nassau County recorded 888 pedestrians involved in motor vehicle crashes between October 2024 and September 2025, resulting in 856 injuries and 29 deaths, according to Walk Safe Long Island.
State officials had already targeted this stretch of road for upgrades before Wednesday's crash. New York launched a $58 million Long Island transportation initiative in July that includes $34.3 million to resurface Route 24, covering Conklin Street and Hempstead Turnpike, along with upgrades to more than 280 sidewalk curb ramps to meet ADA standards, as Hoodline previously reported. The Nassau County Police Department's Traffic Safety unit also runs monthly community safety programs and child passenger protection workshops aimed at reducing injuries among young children on local roads.
Court proceedings scheduled for August 21 in Hempstead are expected to clarify whether prosecutors maintain the misdemeanor charge against Majano Diaz or adjust it based on further medical evaluation of the mother and son. Police have not released additional details on the victims' current conditions.
