Thursday, October 1, 2026
A Farmingville man has been arrested and charged in connection with the car crash that killed Lindsey Parke, 19, a beloved volunteer firefighter with the Levittown Fire Department, and another teenage passenger, authorities said.
Frank Labidi, 23, was behind the wheel of a 2026 white BMW when he lost control of the vehicle while heading west on Old Country Road, near Sterling Place, in Hicksville, around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, according to Nassau County police. The car veered into oncoming traffic, struck a tree, and then slammed into a building, police said.
Parke and the other passenger, Alexa Duryea, also 19 and from Levittown, were both pronounced dead at the scene. Labidi was taken to a hospital with injuries that police described as non-life-threatening. Labidi and the teens had been hanging out at an arcade earlier that night, according to News 12.
Police arrested Labidi on Friday and charged him with two counts of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of second-degree assault. Labidi was driving more than 80 mph - more than twice the posted speed limit, according to court documents- when he lost control of his vehicle. Labidi crossed into oncoming traffic, spun out, and slammed into a tree and a building, prosecutors said.
Parke served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Levittown Fire Department. Her death has shaken the Levittown community and neighboring towns such as Wantagh and Seaford, where her dedication to public service was widely known and admired.
Family, friends, and hundreds of firefighters attended her memorial service at Thomas F. Dalton Funeral Home in Levittown on Jan. 28. Fire departments from across Long Island paid tribute to her with written statements or by posting a photo with a red line with Parke’s name and the date of her death.
“Her smile, laugh, and willingness to help anyone will be forever missed — along with the cupcakes and cookies she always left for us,” the Levittown Fire Department wrote in a statement on Facebook. “Lindsey was a talented, hard working and passionate young woman, and taken from us far too soon.”
Neighboring fire departments also paid tribute to Parke. “Sincere condolences to the Parke family and our friends from the Levittown Fire Department on the tragic and untimely passing of Firefighter Lindsey Parke,” the Wantagh Fire Department wrote in her honor. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this most difficult time.”
Duryea was remembered on Saturday with a memorial service at Charles J. O’Shea Funeral Home in Wantagh. She was described as a loving big sister to her three younger siblings, and that she left behind a legacy of love, strength, friendship, and devotion to family.
According to an obituary posted by the Charles J. O’Shea Funeral Home, Duryea “was kind, sweet, and compassionate, yet strong-willed and full of personality.” The obituary described her as having “a creative spirit” and remembered her for “the endless love she gave so freely.”
Several officials also shared their support for the Parke family. Anthony D’Espostio, the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Labor and former member of Congress, expressed his condolences to Parke’s family, writing in a Facebook post that “Lindsey’s smile, her laugh, and her selfless willingness to help others left a lasting mark on everyone who knew her.”
D'Esposito, a former chief of the Island Park Fire Department, where he served for more than 26 years, added that it is incumbent that the “Long Island community remember her dedication,” and “honors her legacy.”
“Her dedication to the Levittown community will not be forgotten,” State Sen. Steve Rhoads, who represents Levittown, Wantagh and Seaford, wrote about Parke. Nassau County Legislator Kayla Knight echoed similar sentiments, describing Parke’s service as the pinnacle of “courage, selflessness, and professionalism.”
The local community began crowdfunding for both families following the deaths of Parke and Duryea. As of press time, more than $36,000 has been raised through GoFundMe for Parke’s family and nearly $25,000 for Duryea’s family.
Duryea’s GoFundMe page was created by Levittown resident Dorothy Neftleberg-Jackson and is designed to help her parents, Jessica and James Duryea, assist with funeral and memorial expenses, as well as the unexpected costs that come with the loss of a child. Parke’s page was organized by Levittown resident Christine Scarry.
“Lindsey was the most selfless and caring person anyone knew,” a Jan. 24 post from Scarry read. “She was a go-getter and the strongest person that we all needed in our life.”
