Clarke student dies in Salisbury car accident

A W.T. Clarke High School student is dead and two others are seriously injured after being involved in a two-car accident on Bowling Green Drive and Salisbury Road in Salisbury. 

The driver of one of the vehicles, Francesco "Frankie" Posillico, 17, was pronounced dead shortly after the accident. 

Police said one of his passengers, Daniel Roche, 16, remained in a coma on Wednesday. According to officials, he was listed in critical, but stable condition. The other passenger, Joseph Scaperrotta, was in serious but stable condition on Wednesday, police said. 

During a press briefing on Wednesday morning, Detective Lt. Raymond Cote told reporters that it appears “excessive speed” and a blown stop sign contributed to the crash. Police said Posillico’s car, a BMW, was a gift he had just received for Christmas. 

Police said the driver and sole occupant of the second vehicle, a Chevrolet, was a 24-year-old Levittown woman. Detective Lt. Kevin Smith said that investigators continued to interview the woman, and that she would not be identified. She was not seriously injured, police said, and has been released from the hospital. 

On Wednesday, people stopped by the site of the crash on Bowling Green Drive, where a makeshift memorial was created in honor of Posillico. A Clarke lacrosse jersey hung on the tree in tribute to Posillico’s participation on the high school team. 

Samantha Penninipede, 17, and her mother, Ann, visited the crash site on Wednesday morning to drop off flowers at the memorial. 

Penninipede had known Posillico since they entered Clarke Middle School as sixth-graders. 

“He was a really nice guy,” Penninipede said. “He was like everyone’s friend.”

“When you say see you tomorrow, you actually expect to see them tomorrow,” she added. She said that Posillico wanted to be a chef someday. 

Meanwhile at Clarke, the mood was somber. Counselors were in place throughout the building for students, staff members and families in need. 

“The building is saddened … it’s very quiet,” said Louis DeAngelo, East Meadow’s superintendent of schools. 

The superintendent addressed the incident in a statement released on Wednesday morning. 

 “The East Meadow School District is extremely saddened by the loss of one of our W.T. Clarke High School students,” DeAngelo said. “Our deepest sympathies are with his family and friends, and our thoughts and prayers remain constant for the recovery of our other involved students. Counselors are available, at the high school, to our students, staff and families in need.”
          

Updated: 3:20 p.m., 1/5/10