MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Isabel Carella: Teen killed after car being driven by 'distracted' boy crashes into Jeep in Long Island

Carella loved dancing and had been a part of the Smithtown-based Sara Jean Dance Company for the last two years

In Long Island on Wednesday, 15 June, a Mustang convertible carrying four teenagers crashed with another vehicle and overturned, killing one of the passengers, age 17, and injuring three others. According to Suffolk County Police, Isabel Carella, a resident of Smithtown, died in the horrible collision that left the convertible on the back lawn of a house in Commack.

Three adolescent males were hurt, including two who required hospitalization. At 3:45 pm, the juvenile driver swerved to avoid another car and lost control of the convertible, which was carrying four high school students and had the top down. The Mustang was driven by Dominic Crocitto, 17, of Kings Park. He crossed over into the other lane and struck a Jeep that was moving the other way. According to NY Post, the convertible lost control, overturned and came to rest upright in the backyard of a residence on Ramsey Road, the police stated. At the site, Carella's death was confirmed. The PFA at Kings Park High School has started a fundraiser to help the Carella family with financial obligations.

READ MORE

Dante Lennon: Drunk Mercedes driver, 22, kills 3 women leaving party in Long Island crash

Tennessee bill aims to make drunk drivers pay support for victims’ orphaned kids

Serious injuries were sustained by both Crocitto and Kings Park passenger Joseph Gibiino, 16, who was flung from the open convertible. While Gibiino was transported to the Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center, Crocitto was taken by ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital. Liam Feeley, a third passenger in the Mustang, was taken to South Shore University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening wounds. He is a 17-year-old from Kings Park.

The jeep's 19-year-old Commack resident and driver, Annalise Wilkes, was also sent to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center with non-life-threatening wounds. According to Newsday, Suffolk County Det Lt Michael Crowley stated during a news conference on Thursday that there is no evidence to support the theory that the incident was caused by speeding, drug use, or alcohol consumption. We have no evidence to suggest that speed was a role at this time, but the early cause of the incident appears to be driver distraction in the Mustang, according to Crowley. Kings Park High School is attended by three of the four adolescents in the Mustang.

“I am deeply saddened to inform you that earlier today there was a very serious car accident on Indian Head Road in Commack that involved four Kings Park High School students – one Senior and three Juniors,” superintendent of Kings Park Schools Timothy Eagen stated in a note to parents.

In order to assist pupils to deal with the incident and subsequent death of Carella, a senior at the school and a member of the varsity kickline team, he said counselors will be available at the high school. According to Newsday, Carella loved dancing and had been a part of the Smithtown-based Sara Jean Dance Company for the last two years. “She was a confident dancer, but she was humble, even though she had very good abilities,” owner Sara Jean Haas told the outlet. “She [was] a very positive girl.”