A highly respected New York judge died in a tragic motorcycle accident Sunday night.

Dawn Jimenez-Salta, 60, a Supreme Court Justice in Nassau County, was riding a Harley-Davidson bike that collided with a car on the Long Island Expressway after 5:30 p.m.

A terrible accident

The judge was riding on the back of the bike with a 65-year-old man who survived the collision. Police in Suffolk County say the bike slammed into a 2016 Lexus SUV near Exit 68 in Yaphank.

The Lexus had slowed down for traffic, causing the bike to rear-end the car. The collision caused the Lexus to slam into the rear of a 2019 Audi SUV.

Another injury

65-year-old Frederick Fischer of Bay Shore was seriously injured and transported to Stony Brook University Hospital. Fischer was operating the motorcycle.

Jimenez-Salta was brought to Long Island Community hospital in Patchogue, where she was pronounced dead. No one else was injured in the crash.

The news of the judge's untimely death has stunned the Long Island legal community, where she was a highly respected jurist.

"The Nassau County District Attorney's Office is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Nassau County Supreme Court Justice Dawn Jimenez," a spokesperson for the D.A.'s office said. "Justice Jimenez was a dedicated public servant who upheld the values of fairness and justice throughout her career, spanning from New York City to Long Island. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time."

Local community reacts

Jimenez-Salta started her career on the bench in 1999 in her native Brooklyn, serving on the Kings County Housing Court. She eventually rose to the Supreme Court of Kings County in 2014.

The judge, who was of Italian and Puerto Rican descent, was respected by her colleagues, who knew her as an excellent judge and a dedicated mother.

In 2022, Jimenez-Salta relocated to the Nassau County Supreme Court, closer to her home in Garden City. She made the move to spend more time with her daughter Olivia, friends told Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

"She was a fine jurist and a wonderful human being," Joe Rosato, former president of the Brooklyn Bar Association said. "Everybody knew her as a fantastic mom to her daughter and a good friend to all of us in the legal community. Our hearts are broken."