Pedestrian Killed In Hit-And-Run In St. James

Suffolk County Police today arrested a man for leaving the scene following a motor vehicle crash that killed a male pedestrian in St. James.

Michael McDermott was jogging on the shoulder of the southbound lane of Lake Avenue, north of Oak Street, when he was struck by a southbound 2014 Nissan sedan at 12:21 p.m. The driver, Keith Clancy, fled the scene in the Nissan. McDermott, 37, of Smithtown was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

Police located Clancy driving the Nissan eastbound on the Long Island Expressway. He was pulled over by a Seventh Precinct officer near exit 69 in Manorville at approximately 12:49 p.m.

Clancy, 32, of Mattituck, was arrested and charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle. He is being held overnight at the Seventh Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip in the morning.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this crash to call the Major Case Unit at 631-852-6555. All calls will be kept confidential. 

A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.