By Laura Lane
Hooked to a multitude of machines, she continues to struggle to stay alive after sustaining devastating injuries in a recent car accident near her home, at James Street and Beach Drive.
The Levy-Lakeside Elementary School student was sitting in the rear seat of a Nissan minivan with her 9-year-old sister Lisa when an Acura driven by a Bellmore man struck the vehicle on May 9. Both girls were ejected from the car. Having suffered severe head trauma, Lisa died shortly afterward.
Treated for pain but not admitted to the hospital were the girls¹ mother, Joanne, who was driving the minivan, and their brother, John Jr., 13, who sat in the middle row of seats. Their father, John, wasn't in the car. The Iburg children¹s great-grandmother, Concetta Mattera, 88, who was a passenger in the minivan's front seat, suffered a head injury.
Mattera languished across the hall from Christie in NUMC's intensive-care unit for several days. She died on May 18 from injuries sustained in the accident, including fractures in her neck and ribs. She also suffered from congestive heart failure and pneumonia, hospital officials said.
The accident's cause is under investigation. Police have assigned no blame and have made no arrests to date.
The crash has raised concerns in south Merrick, where several residents said dangerous driving is common. James Vitto, who has lived on Beach Drive since 1993, said that he sees people drive wildly on the street, and he worries about the safety of his two young sons. "People drive fast on Beach Drive," said Vitto. "It's a long street, which is typical of peninsulas, and people become impatient to get to Merrick Road."
Vitto said he often sees people roll through stop signs on Beach Drive. Some drivers don't stop at all. "An increase in police enforcement would help, but could Nassau County afford it?" Vitto wondered. "What do you do, enforce it by hiring an additional 700 police officers and raise people's taxes? It would probably be worth it."
The Herald contacted the Nassau County Police Department to ask what residents should do if they see people breaking the law while driving. Public information officer Thomas Blanchard said, "People have to report to the precinct and demand more attention in an area if that's what's going on."
Joe Baker, a retired traffic court officer who lives near Beach Drive, said that he has requested increased police patrols for months, but hasn't succeeded in getting them. He recognizes that police can't wait at every stop sign, but he believes that if people saw more police in the area, they would be more likely to obey the law.
"I have neighbors who want to throw rocks at these cars," said Baker. "You can't do that; that's a crime."
Baker hopes to make headway with traffic problems by forming a new civic group, the South Merrick Community Civic Association Inc. "There is strength in numbers," said Baker. "We need more enforcement in our area, more police presence."
Al Belbol grew up on Beach Drive, just blocks from the James Street intersection. He said that speeding is common in south Merrick, including near Levy-Lakeside. "It's unacceptable," said Belbol. "And even though I think that young people are the greatest offenders, it's parents as well. Whatever they're rushing to isn't as important as safety."
Former Nassau County police officer Bob Arresto lives a block and a half from the accident site, on a street that runs parallel to Beach Drive. Over the past 30 years, three cars parked in front of Arresto¹s home have been hit. "A drunk driver totaled my son's car, parked in front of our house, three years ago when the driver lost control of his car," said Arresto. "There's definitely a problem here. I've noticed that the kids drive recklessly, racing and gunning their cars."
While working as a detective in the 1980s, Arresto tried to get approval for speed bumps on area streets, but was unsuccessful. He did manage to increase enforcement, which he said was helpful.
"Back then, there were more patrol cars and more summonses, but now they only have one car from the Meadowbrook [Parkway] to Bellmore," said Arresto. "The county is in a bad position. I guess an increase in stop signs would probably help, but it wouldn't matter to the kids that are speeding. They'd zip right through them."
To report drivers who break the law in south Merrick or south Bellmore, call the 1st Precinct at (516) 573-6100.
Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
