Two people were killed and Databec Exchangefour others were seriously injured early Saturday morning in New York when a man ran a red light and hit another vehicle.
The crash happened in West Babylon, about 19 miles southwest of Long Island, the Suffolk County Police Department said in a news release.
According to police, 33-year-old Michael Desmond was driving a 2017 Kia sedan and ran through a red light around 1:06 a.m. Saturday.
As Desmond ran through the red light, he hit a 2025 Kia Seltos, killing himself and Riley Goot, one of the teens in the Kia Seltos.
Goot was taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The police department said 17-year-old Bella Trezza was driving the Kia Seltos. Also in the Seltos were Goot, 18, Austin Trezza, 17, and friends Jack Murphy, 18, and Anthony Pagliuca, 16.
The driver, her brother, and Murphy were taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital with serious injuries, while Pagliuca was taken to South Shore University Hospital. He too suffered serious injuries, the police department said.
Both vehicles were impounded and checked for safety, police said.
Community members remember teen as ‘a ray of light’ and raises funds for impacted families
According to online fundraisers, Bella was picking up her brother and his friends from a party the night of the accident. After community members heard about the crash, they started fundraisers for each of the teenagers.
As of Wednesday afternoon, $177,533 has been raised for the Trezza siblings, nearly $61,000 for Pagliuca, just over $41,000 for Murphy and nearly $23,000 has been raised for Goot, the teenager who was killed in the crash.
Calling Goot’s death a “nightmare,” GoFundMe user Rachel Morris said in an online fundraiser that he was “an amazing young man” and “a ray of light.”
He graduated from high school last year and was a big brother and an athlete, according to the fundraiser.
Murphy, who was seriously injured in the crash, had to undergo facial surgery after the crash, according to an online fundraiser for him. His airways were swollen and according to the fundraiser, he is not in the clear yet.
About Pagliuca, community members who started a fundraiser in his honor said he will need several surgeries due to the accident, as well as “rehabilitation physically and mentally from the outcome.”
Bella Trezza is on life support and suffered severe brain trauma, as well as multiple broken bones, fundraiser Gina DellaMonica-Giacchetto shared online.
“She has lost her spleen, a tremendous amount of blood, and has more broken bones than the doctors wanted to count,” the fundraisers read. “The outlook for survival for Bella is not bright, which is so devastating, especially knowing the bright ray of sunshine she is in this world.”
Her brother, Austin, has had multiple surgeries and is stable. He will need more surgeries and rehab.
Fundraisers for the victims include:
- Riley Goot
- Jack Murphy
- Anthony Pagliuca
- Bella and Austin Trezza
Detectives ask that anyone with information on the crash call the First Squad at (631) 854-8152.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].
