LI Man, 26, Who Died In Crash, Remembered As 'Deeply Loved By His Family'

SELDEN, NY — The family of a man who died in a crash on Long Island this week is remembering him as deeply loved, according to a GoFundMe account.

Matthew Schneider died Express Drive South in Holbrook early Tuesday morning.

"We never imagined we would be writing something like this, and honestly, we still don’t know how to put any of this into words," wrote his aunt, Katie Damico.

"This morning, Matthew tragically lost his life in a car accident at only 26 years old," she said. "Our hearts are completely broken."

"Matthew was a deeply loved son, family member, and friend, and there are so many people trying to understand how someone so young, with so much life still ahead of him, could be gone so suddenly," she said. "It does not feel real, and it is impossible to make sense of a loss like this."

Schneider was driving a 2018 Chevrolet Express eastbound on Express Drive South, near Maple Avenue, when the vehicle left the roadway, struck a tree, and overturned at around 3:10 a.m., according to police.

A good Samaritan called 911 at 5:28 a.m., and Schneider, 26, of Selden, was pronounced dead later at the scene, police said.

The motorcycle was impounded for a safety check, according to police.

Patch has reached out to Damico.

In her GoFundMe post, she wrote, "Right now, his family is trying to process a loss that no family should ever have to face."

"Along with the overwhelming grief comes the unexpected cost of giving Matthew the services and goodbye he deserves," she wrote. "We are creating this GoFundMe in hopes of taking even a small amount of that weight off of his family during this unimaginable time. All donations will go toward the costs associated with Matthew’s services."

"Any amount, no matter how small, is deeply appreciated," she wrote. "If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this fundraiser and keeping Matthew, his family, and everyone who loved him in your thoughts and prayers."

So far, more than $12,000 has been collected.

"Thank you to everyone who has reached out, prayed, shared memories, checked in, or simply shown love to the family. None of this can take away the pain, but knowing how deeply Matthew was loved means more than words can express," Damico wrote. "Matthew was only 26. He should have had more birthdays, more memories, more laughs, and so much more life ahead of him."

"Rest peacefully, Matthew. You were loved so deeply, and you will be missed more than words could ever say," she concluded.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about Schneider's crash to contact them at 631-854-8652.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Matthew Schneider as the motorcyclist. Patch regrets the error.