Family Of Crash Victim 'Devastated'; Funeral Donations Sought

EAST MASSAPEQUA, NY — A man, who was struck and killed by a vehicle last week in East Massapequa, has been identified.

Desmond Gaines, 42, was walking across Merrick Road at Carman Mill Road when he was hit by a BMW.

Gaines died at the scene on Thursday night. The 19-year-old driver remained at the scene.

Latasha Gaines, Desmond's sister, created a GoFundMe page to contribute toward the funeral arrangements.

"Desmond was a hard-working, loving and incredibly caring person," she wrote on GoFundMe.

She added that the loss is "devastating" as there are "very few family members" remaining.

While police have not announced any criminal charges in Gaines' death, "I pray we get justice for him," she said.

Through Tuesday morning, the page received more than $1,500 in donations.