The 5 Biggest Merrick Stories Of 2017

A lot happened in 2017, both nationally and locally. It's hard to single out just one story that captured our readers this year. So instead, we picked the five stories that our Merrick Patch readers were most interested in.

Man Pulled From Merrick LIRR Tracks Just Before Train Arrives

A man was pulled from the tracks at the Merrick Long Island Rail Road station in October, just before a train pulled into the station. The man apparently was standing on the platform when he dropped his phone on the tracks. He jumped down to get it, not realizing a train was about to pull into the station. Laura Gillen, who was running against Anthony Santino for the position of Town of Hempstead supervisor at the time, saw the man jump down for his phone. Gillen and a nameless good Samaritan pulled the man up and to safety before the train pulled up to the station. The man was unhurt and got on the Manhattan-bound train.

Sex Offender's Future Home In Merrick Burned Down

The future home of a sex offender in Merrick burned down early in the morning on May 24, and the fire marshal was investigating whether the man was targeted because of that. The block around the home was covered in fliers indicating that a sex offender would be moving into the house.

Student Diagnosed With Meningitis Attends JFK High School, Barry Tech

There was a bit of a health scare in May when a student from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, who also attended the Nassau BOCES Barry Technical School, was diagnosed with meningitis — a contagious and dangerous infection. The diagnosis was revealed by JFK Principal Lorraine Poppe in a letter sent home to parents.

Motorcyclist Killed In Crash On Meadowbrook

A 28-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene of a crash between a motorcycle and an SUV on the Meadowbrook State Parkway in North Merrick early in the morning on Aug. 5, state police said. According to police, Anthony Geslak, of Hicksville, was riding a 2016 BMW motorcycle northbound when it rear-ended a 2012 Ford Escape north of the Southern State Parkway at about 12:43 a.m. Geslak was ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene.

Tourist Assaults Merrick Man In New York City

A Merrick man was injured after he was attacking by a tourist in Times Square in August. An NYPD spokesman confirmed that 31-year-old Dean Westmoreland, of Utah, was arrested at about 7:30 a.m. on 1501 Broadway after assaulting the 53-year-old man. Westmoreland struck the man in the back and kicked him in the face causing swelling and bruising, police said.

Those were the most-read stories this year. But what were your favorite stories of 2017? Let us know in the comments below.