Riverhead man dies in single-vehicle crash in Laurel

A 68-year-old Riverhead man died in a single-vehicle crash in Laurel Monday afternoon when his pickup truck swerved off Main Road and across oncoming traffic before striking a tree head-on.

Southold Town police confirmed Tuesday that the driver, Angelo Stavropoulos, 68, was pronounced dead at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead.

Mr. Stavropoulos was driving a 2021 Toyota Tacoma eastbound on Main Road near Laurel Lake Park when the crash happened at about 2:45 p.m. in front of a home. There were no passengers in the pickup or other vehicles involved.

In a Facebook post Tuesday, Peconic Bay Diner in Riverhead announced “with a very heavy heart” that Mr. Stavropoulos died and said he was a “great husband, father, friend, boss and all around the biggest hearted person we all knew.”

“He will be greatly missed at the diner and the whole community,” the post continued. “Please keep our family in your prayers as we grieve this very traumatic and unexpected loss.”

Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley said he wasn’t certain if the driver suffered a medical emergency just prior to the crash, but officers and first responders administered CPR at the scene on the driver.

A witness who was driving behind the Tacoma said he saw the pickup cross the road and crash directly into the tree.

“No brakes, no nothing,” the witness told the News-Review.

The Mattituck Fire Department responded to the scene and the victim was transported to PBMC.

Main Road was briefly closed to allow police to conduct measurements across the road as part of the investigation. The crash remains under investigation by Southold detectives.