By Marley Seaman
A 2001 Land Rover driven by Baldwin Senior High School senior Chad Regis struck the parkway¹s concrete center median at 7:10 p.m. The SUV turned over several times as it spun off the road, striking trees along the way. The accident took place near Exit 32 off Route 110 in Babylon.
Chanee Brown was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the car was traveling at ³a high rate of speed,² and Brown was the only passenger not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. She was 18. The other passengers and driver are all 17.
Passenger Matthew Bailey suffered spinal fractures. He was airlifted to Nassau University Medical Center, where he was being treated in the intensive care unit as the Herald went to press.
Regis suffered liver injuries, while Stephen Moore Jr. sustained cuts to his head and hands. Both were at NUMC. The fourth passenger, Miatta Massaley, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center with chest pains. All three were in stable condition. Regis and Moore are both seniors, and were on the high school football team.
³It¹s a real tragic accident,² said Athletic Director Eduardo Ramirez. ³It¹s a loss for us as an athletic program, as a community, as a school.²
According to New York State Police, Regis faces several charges stemming from the accident. He will be charged with speeding and making an unsafe lane change, as well as several violations related to his age: driving after hours with a junior license, driving with more than two underage passengers in the vehicle, and operating out of class. An investigation is continuing.
Police said they had not yet determined whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
Grief counselors, including district guidance counselors, social workers and psychologists, were dispatched to the high school to help students and faculty cope with the tragedy. A letter detailing the incident was sent home with students.
³They have been in the library offering grief counseling to all students and staff in need, and will continue to be there on an ongoing basis,² said district spokeswoman Cristina Schmohl.
Principal Susan Knors remembered Brown as a mature student, a leader and a member of the school¹s honor roll. ³Those who knew her were impressed with her positive attitude and wonderful sense of humor,² Knors said. ³We are deeply saddened by Chanee¹s untimely passing and keenly feel her loss. The high school honored her with a moment of silence this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, and the families of all the students involved.²
Brown was one of the students who spent a day at Mercy Medical Center this year as part of the hospital¹s annual Shadow Day. She observed a day in the life of the health care business, and was mentored by Mercy staff. She was also a varsity basketball player and sang with the high school chorus and women¹s chorale.
³As a district, we are all grieving her loss, and we are going to make sure we respect the needs of the families,² said Schmohl.
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