I stand corrected, Harry Chapin did die in an auto accident not a plane crash.
It happened on the Long Island Expressway near Exit 40 in Jericho (westbound).
I always steer clear of the LIE as it's so unpredictable. Sometimes you can be sailing along, other times you are stuck in a massive traffic jam for hours. Instead, I stick to the Northern or Southern Parkways (where no trucks are allowed), but you need to be on your toes there as well as the cars tend to zip in and out of lanes with little warning.
I actually try to avoid Long Island in general. Way too many cars and not enough roads. Plus everybody seems to own a boat.