Two 14-year-old boys died after the Alfa Romeo car they were traveling in was hit by a suspected drunk driver going the wrong way on a Long Island freeway.
Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz died near Jericho late Wednesday night after Amandeep Singh, 34, crashed into them in his Dodge Ram. New York Post reported.
They were pronounced dead at the scene, while two other boys aged 16 and 17 who were in the car suffered internal injuries. They are said to be in a stable condition in the hospital.
Hassenbein and Falkowitz were both considered stars on the school’s varsity tennis team, and Hassenbein was even ranked nationally, according to NBC New York.
After being hit by the Dodge, the Alfa Romeo sedan crashed into a Volvo XC90 SUV containing a 49-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy.
Two 14-year-old boys both died after the Alfa Romeo they were traveling in was hit by a Long Island ghost driver who police say was drunk
Alleged drunken wrong-way driver Amandeep Singh is run over on Long Island on Thursday, hours after a car crash that killed two 14-year-old boys
Both suffered minor injuries.
“It was probably one of the most catastrophic scenes I’ve seen in a long time,” Det. Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick, commander of the Nassau homicide squad said.
“If you had been there you would have seen the debris field, it was almost as if the car exploded.”
Fitzpatrick added that Singh — who recorded a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit — was so disabled he assumed he was in New Jersey when Long Island detectives questioned him.
He asked the officers, ‘What are you doing here? It’s New Jersey.”
Singh was filmed walking in a white hazmat suit on Thursday.
He faces charges including aggravated vehicular manslaughter, first degree manslaughter and first degree manslaughter.
Singh’s lawyer, James Kousouros, told Newsday that his client is a US citizen and has a criminal record dating back to 2006.
Singh — who recorded a blood alcohol level double the legal limit — was so disabled he assumed he was in New Jersey when Long Island detectives questioned him
“It was probably one of the most catastrophic scenes I’ve seen in a long time,” Det. Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick, commander of the Nassau homicide squad said
Singh faces charges including aggravated vehicular homicide, first-degree manslaughter and first-degree manslaughter
Det. Captain Stephen Fitzpatrick, Commander of the Nassau Kill Squad
“He has a very strong connection to his community,” Kousouros argued in court, noting that his wife and two young children were present in court and that he is a business owner. “… This is clearly an outright tragedy.”
Judge Joseph Nocella ruled that Singh was at risk of flight given his criminal past — including a minor DUI — and suggested placing him in protective custody.
He was eventually returned without bail to a Nassau County jail on Thursday. Dozens of local residents applauded the decision.
Roslyn Board of Education president Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy said the Falkowitz and Hassenbein were returning from a victorious tennis match.
“It was a big win,” said Ben-Levy. “They celebrated as they should, as a team.”
Roslyn Board of Education president Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy said the Falkowitz and Hassenbein were returning from a victorious tennis match
Court Judge Joseph Nocella ruled Singh was a flight risk given his criminal past — including a minor DUI — and suggested he be placed in protective custody
Melissa Wright, a mother of a fellow youth tennis player, described both Falkowitz and Hassenbein as good kids.
“And they had wonderful families that really supported their kids and developed their talents,” Wright said.
Roslyn Schools Superintendent Allison Brown announced that crisis teams will be on campus to help students in the wake of the tragedy in a note to parents.
“Our community has suffered a devastating loss with the death of two of our students in a tragic car accident. Our hearts are broken and we are struggling to come to terms with this tragedy,” Brown added.