by Chris Munzing
Dorothy Freiser, 98, of 15 W. Penn St. in Long Beach, was killed when her 1983 Cadillac collided with a 2000 Honda Civic operated by Anthony Valentine of Elmont.
The accident occurred at 4:06 p.m., when both vehicles were driving southbound side by side on Austin Boulevard, approaching Kingston Boulevard. Valentine, 75, was forced to veer right to avoid a 1998 Toyota operated by Kenneth Kilgannon of Long Beach. Kilgannon was in the process of making a left turn from the westbound lanes of Kingston onto the southbound lanes of Austin Blvd.
According to police reports, the passenger side of Vanentine's Honda struck the front driver's-side fender of Freiser's Cadillac as Valentine swerved to avoid Kilgannon's car. Upon contact, both vehicles continued southbound briefly, before Freiser lost control of her car and it careened into the southbound parking lane, where it struck the rear of a parked 1999 Dodge Durango. Valentine's car ended up in front of the Jimmy Hays restaurant. He was uninjured.
Freiser suffered serious head trauma and was transported to South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, where she expired from her injuries at 4:55 p.m.
Long Beach Fire Chief and EMT Scott Kemins was the first paramedic on the scene of the accident. "I immediately started treating her," he said. "I put a neck collar on her to prevent further injuries." Kemins said he wasn't surprised that Freiser died, because her injuries were extensive. In addition to her severe head trauma, Kemins believed Freiser had internal injuries as well. Due to the nature of Freiser's injuries, it is likely that they resulted from the contact with the parked Durango and not the initial sideswipe from the Honda Civic.
Due to the age of the car, it was difficult to determine whether Freiser was wearing her seat belt, according to Fourth Precinct Sgt. Bill Miller.
Tony Mete of Liberty Petroleum, on the corner of Kingston and Austin boulevards, across from Jimmy Hays, said it looked as if Valentine was trying to make a right into a parking lot when his Honda hit Freiser's silver Cadillac. "It looked like the red car was trying to turn and he hit the lady," Mete said.
From Mete's point of view, parking lots on both sides of Jimmy Hays looked like Valentine's intended destination. According to police, however, Valentine's movement was due to Kilgannon's emergence on Austin Boulevard.
Fourth Precinct Detective Jon Daniel said that in these situations, the steps taken by police are to secure the area, allow forensic evidence to be taken at the scene, take photographic evidence, impound the vehicles involved and question witnesses.
Neighbors were shocked at the news last week, but remembered Freiser as a vibrant person even at her advanced age. "She was very alert, she was upbeat," said Kristina Gunay, Freiser's neighbor. "Very sweet woman, very nice. It's a shock."
