Four friends killed in horrific crash, Latest World News - The New Paper
World

Four friends killed in horrific crash

This article is more than 12 months old

A group of good friends decided to tour wineries together on Long Island, New York as part of a birthday celebration.

The eight women in their 20s rented a limousine on Saturday (July 18) so that they could all indulge  and not be worried about drink driving or have someone become the designated driver, reported New York Post.

But a pickup truck rammed into the side of the limo.

The limousine had been making an illegal U-turn after leaving a vineyard. The crash killed four of the women – Brittany M. Schulman, 23, Lauren Baruch, 24, Stephanie Belli, 23, and Amy R. Grabina, 23.


(From left) Brittney M. Schulman, Lauren Baruch, Amy R. Grabina and Stephanie Belli.

The four other women – Joelle Dimonte, 25, Melissa Angela Crai, 23, Alicia Arundel, 24, and Olga Lipets, 24 – and the drivers of both vehicles were injured.

The truck driver Steve Romeo was arrested while trying to flee the scene. He was later found to be drunk.

New York Post quoted a law-enforcement source as saying: "They (the women) did the right thing. They did what you want them to do. They hired a driver. This way, they could go out and have a good time.

"Then this tragedy happened. It didn’t matter.’’

Romeo, 55, was charged with driving while intoxicated. He pleaded not guilty on Sunday (July 19).

Ms Baruch's father said: "As a family, we're obviously devastated by the loss of my daughter.

"We loved her more than anything. Now I have to bury my daughter."

Sources: New York Post, Mail Online, Mirror, Sky News, CBS, ABC 7

CarDrink DrivingbirthdayTragedyunited statesaccidentUncategorised