Vigil Held For 4 Women Killed In Long Island Limo Crash
SMITHTOWN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The four young women killed in a crash between a limousine and a pickup truck on Long Island were honored at a candlelight vigil.
Hundreds of people holding white candles gathered in the bleachers at the Smithtown High School West athletic field Wednesday night to remember Brittney Schulman, 23, of Smithtown; Lauren Baruch, 24, of Smithtown; Stephanie Belli, 23, of Kings Park; and Amy Grabina, 23, of Commack.
Three of the four victims attended the school.
The group Mothers Against Drunk Driving helped organize the "Candlelight Vigil For Our Girls" to address the issue of drunk driving and show support for those who've been impacted.
Eight friends were in the limousine after a day touring eastern Long Island's wine country on July 18 when authorities said the vehicle was slammed broadside by a pickup truck while making a U-turn at an intersection along Route 48 in Cutchogue. In addition to the victims who were killed, four other women in the limo and the limo's driver were also injured.
As CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported, Main Street and Town Hall are now adorned with red ribbons, the symbols for drunk driving prevention.
The vigil was organized by Liz Lauro, along with family, friends, and neighbors of the girls.
"It was just one click, one send button on Facebook. The comments kept pouring in," Lauro said.
The group is raising awareness about victim services to help grieving families.
"These families, all touched and affected by this shocking news, for all the girls, not just those who passed, on but the girl who suffered in the accident," Ann Sinclair said, "All of these families have so many more pieces to pick up."
Many of the families spent days and nights at Stony Brook University Hospital, after their critically injured daughters were airlifted from the accident scene.
"It is never easy to get multiple casualties at once, however we have a system here designed to handle that. We have back up, and Stony Brook truly works as a team," Chief of Trauma, Dr. James Vosswinkel said.
Dr. Vosswinkel, and his critical care surgeons helped save the lives of the survivors in the limo, but doctors deflected praise to the parents.
"Their families were there quickly to support them at the bedside, which helped a lot, because they were scared and nervous, and having their families was very important," Dr. Daniel Rutigliano said.
Now that they have been released, doctors said it is important to keep the support going.
At the Suffolk District Attorney's office, the investigation into the crash continues.
The pickup truck driver has been charged with DWI. The limo driver has not been charged.
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