Suffolk County Police Fifth Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that killed a man in Shirley on Dec. 13.
Darrell Sumpter was driving a 2002 Cadillac westbound in the left lane of Sunrise Highway, 11⁄2 miles east of Horseblock Road, when the vehicle swerved and struck a 2021 Ford utility truck traveling in the right lane. Both vehicles left the roadway and overturned at 1:37 p.m. Sumpter, 51, of Shirley, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Darrell Sumpter was the assistant coach of the William Floyd High School varsity boys basketball team. The school released a statement saying, “Mr. Sumpter was a proud William Floyd graduate, a longtime community member, a family man, and a highly-regarded coach and mentor for our boys’ and girls’ basketball programs. He served as an assistant basketball coach on the boys’ varsity team since 2015, and as a volunteer for the youth of the community for many years before that. Coach Darrell was instrumental in the creation of the WFSD youth basketball program and booster club that has made a difference in the lives of so many boys’ and girls’ student-athletes within our community.”
The passenger in the Cadillac, Susan Sumpter, 48, of Shirley, and the driver of the Ford, Jason Troccoli, 52, of Lake Ronkonkoma, were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The vehicles were impounded for a safety check.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Fifth Squad at 631-854-8552.
