Driver In LI Crash That Killed 5 Seen Speeding, Had Marijuana: PD

QUOGUE, NY — Quogue Village Police on Tuesday unveiled further information regarding a crash Saturday night that left five men dead and one woman in critical condition.

Justin B. Mendez, 22, of Brookhaven, who was driving a red Nissan Maxima and crashed head-on into a gray Toyota Prius near the intersection of Montauk Highway and Quogue Street (east) was found to have a "quantity of marijuana" in the passenger side compartment of the vehicle, was seen speeding an estimated 55 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone — and, according to witness accounts, may have turned off his headlights when police began to follow him, although that has not yet been confirmed, police said.

Mendez died at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital a short time later, police said.

Farhan Zahid, 32, of Bay Shore, was an Uber driver, and three passengers in the Prius, Michael O. Farrell, 20, James P. Farrell, 25, and Ryan J. Kiess, 25, all from Manhassett, died at the scene, police said. A fourth passenger, Brianna M. Maglio, 22, of Garden City, remains hospitalized in critical condition, police said.

Investigators believe excessive speed may have been a factor in the crash, police said.

Quogue Village Police Chief Christopher Isola said that Mendez was traveling west on County Road 80 at a "high rate of speed" when he was observed by a Quogue village police officer who was heading east in the other direction. The officer turned around and headed west on Country Road 80 but "was unable to catch up with vehicle before it collided with the 2010 Toyota Prius operated by Zahid," Isola said.

Maglio, the only survivor of the crash, was first transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center and then transferred to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, where she remains in critical condition. Police have not spoken to her but have been in communication with her family, Isola said, adding that her health was the first priority.

The crash is still under investigation by Quogue Village Police and New York State Police, as well as the National Transportation Safety Board and Attorney General's Office; both agencies are taking part due to the number of deaths and also take part in an investigation when any incident involving police ends in death, Isola said.

Isola said he believes an autopsy and toxicology report have been performed on Mendez but the. results are in the jurisdiction of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office and have not been released, he said.

No criminal charges have been filed, Isola said. "We don't have a defendant," he added. "We will exhaust all avenues to determine how this accident occurred."

It is also not clear if Mendez was texting but that is one element of the investigation, Isola said.

The suspected marijuana found in Mendez' vehicle, in pre-tests, has tested positive for cannabis, Isola said.

Describing the chain of events, Isola said the officer was heading east on County Road 80 when he spotted Mendez about 1,000 feet into the Village of Quogue; Mendez was coming from the direction of the Village of East Quogue, heading west and leaving a 30 mph zone to a 40 mph zone, and was also at the point of a "sharp turn" in the roadway.

Evidence suggests that the officer had a "very brief view" of Mendez' vehicle but "the officer very quickly loses sight and never catches up," he said. Accident reconstruction will ultimately determine the speed at which Mendez was driving but radar and visual estimation indicate he may have been driving 55 mph when coming from the 30 mph zone, Isola said.

"The officer observed him driving at a high rate of speed, along with some witnesses," Isola said. "There may be some evidence that he turned his headlights off."

A witness report indicates that Mendez turned off his lights when he saw the officer following him but that has not been confirmed, Isola said. The officer did not "chase" Mendez but followed him and turned on flashing lights because Mendez "was so far ahead," Isola said.

When asked about whether that stretch of road is dangerous, or a "death trap," as some have suggested on social media, Isola said Montauk Highway has several sharp bends. "It's a rural road, not that well-lit. There are markings and warning signs and speed limits, in some areas, drop to 30 miles per hour. Many of our corners cannot be safely navigated without dropping your speed, which is indicated by signage. Any turn you make, you have to pay attention into the safe navigation of the turn," Isola said.

The site of the crash "is not a hotspot," Isola said. While there was a crash resulting in a double fatality in 1997 at the other end of the same intersection, Isola said there have been crashes at many spots. "I would say this one is not a problem area," he said.

That said, Isola continued: "Any time there is an accident we look at causation and see if there is something we can do better." In his time as chief, roads have evolved with technology including guard rails, barriers, and signage. "I can't speak from an engineering perspective but that road is consistent with many other roads," he said.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone has ordered a traffic study on the county road, Isola said. In addition, there is signage that can be moved around the village; on Monday, a new sign was posted to caution motorists to slow down at the site, he said.

"As you know, our enforcement efforts are quite aggressive for speed and it's because of the danger of this road," Isola said.

When asked if the Uber driver was speeding, Isola said that was not part of the investigation.

"This was a tragic incident, " Isola said. "Our hearts go out to all those who lost loved ones and to the first responders and all those who responded to this tragedy."

Quogue Village Mayor Peter Sartorius also spoke about the "tragic accident and how devastated we all are about the events of last Saturday night. Everyone's trying to digest it. Our trauma, of course, doesn't compare with the grief that the families of the five victims who were killed in the accident are experiencing . . but we want them to know that we in Quogue send our deepest condolences to them and to know that we are here grieving with them."

Heartbroken families left behind after five died in a head-on crash in Quogue Saturday are left praying for the one young woman who survived, searching for answers —and crying out for safety improvementson the road where their loved ones lost their lives.

Kurt Kiess, who lost his son Ryan, 25, in the crash, said the issue of road safety is critical: "The whole town knows about this curve and has done nothing about it."

Kiess suggested maybe a concrete Jersey barrier — used to separate lines of traffic — could help.

"The notion that these are sleepy country towns is gone. That's not what this is," Kiess said, adding that the influx of traffic on roads must be addressed.

Kiess wants answers in regard to how many speeding tickets are issued during the day, versus the night hours, by Quogue Village Police, he said. He also suggested the stretch of Montauk Highway, where neighbors have voice concerns, might be redesigned.

He'd heard that the last time a crash took place at the site was years ago, Kiess said. "That's not something to be proud of," he said. "That's ridiculous. It's a curvy road. It shouldn't be that dangerous. The amount of traffic on Montauk Highway has increased over the years." Officials, he said, "need to be more responsible" and address the situation. "It can't help my son but maybe it can help someone else."

With those roads being the route many travel to take part in the East End's nightlife, what Kiess calls the "blood, the artery" for the area, Kiess said road safety is critical. As it stands, the night when his son died was clear, but on a foggy night, the roads would be even more difficult to navigate, he said.

"There's poor lighting, poor everything," he said.

Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said it was "possible" the town might advocate the state and county for changes, depending on information that arises in regard to the cause of the crash.

On Tuesday, Quogue Village Police told Patch: "The only contributing factor we have at this time is speed."

On Monday night, about 100 grieving friends and family gathered at his home to mourn his son and the Farrell brothers who died, Kiess said. "They're devastated. These are young adults who shouldn't have to go through this. They've lost their friend; it's terrible."

A prayer service will be held for the lost on Tuesday in Manhasset at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of St. Mary, located at 1300 Northern Boulevard.

The young people called an Uber to be safe, Kiess said. "They were doing the right thing."

His son and his friends, Kiess said, "were all good kids." His son was an accountant at KPMG and had just been promoted. "They were all at the start of their careers, it was unlimited — they had their whole lives in front of them."

Through tears, Kiess said: "Our hearts are broken forever. Our lives will never be the same. We love our son — and we always will."