'Incredibly Grateful': Teen In Babylon Car Crash Faces Long Recovery
BABYLON, NY — The family of a teen who survived a West Babylon crash that took the lives of two teenagers and hospitalized three others is finding the strength to navigate his long road to recovery.
Jack Murphy, 18, of Babylon, was hospitalized with severe injuries on Sept. 21 after a car wreck changed the lives of five Long Island families forever. According to Suffolk County police, the driver of a Kia sedan ran through a red light on Railroad Avenue in West Babylon and hit a 2025 Kia Seltos on Great East Neck Road that contained five local teenagers.
The sedan’s driver, Michael Desmond, 33, of Lindenhurst was pronounced dead on the scene while Riley Goot, 18, of Babylon, a passenger in the Seltos, was pronounced dead shortly after at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, police said.
Find out what's happening in Deer Park-North Babylonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The four surviving teens, Seltos driver Bella Trezza, 17, and her passengers, Austin Trezza, 18, Murphy, and Anthony Pagliuca, 16, were all hospitalized for treatment of serious injuries.
Bella died after four days on life support but saved the lives of three other people by donating her organs.
Find out what's happening in Deer Park-North Babylonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Since then, the three surviving young men are still on the road to recovery.
Shortly after the crash, Jack’s family said on their GoFundMe page that he was “intubated with swollen airways after enduring a long facial surgery.”
A month later, Jack is home with his family, but his healing journey is far from over. Theresa DePietto of Hope Floats Long Island gave Patch the update.
“Currently, Jack is doing better but still has an incredibly long road to recovery ahead of him,” DePietto said. “He has good days and bad days. He still endures pain daily, as his jaw is wired shut and he struggles with eating each day.”
DePietto added that he has multiple medical procedures “in his future,” but “his family is thankful to have him home.”
Click Here: shopskm
“They are all incredibly grateful for the love and support shown from family, friends, and the community,” she said.
The families of Anthony and Austin were not immediately available for comment.
Online fundraisers were quickly created for each family and remain active as the families navigate ever parent’s worst nightmare.
Click here to help Jack Murphy, Austin Trezza, and Anthony Pagliuca on their road to recovery.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.