By Brian Zanzonico
Some days, they don't stop.
With the anniversary of her teenage son's death approaching, it's been especially difficult for her. On June 14, 2006, the lives of Johnson, her husband, Richard, and their three daughters were ripped apart. The couple's only son, Kevin, an 18-year-old senior at Floral Park Memorial High School, was killed along with Michael Richardson, 20; Max Lesly-Auguste, 19; and Nyana Adingupu, 16, when Auguste crashed his 1998 Toyota Avalon on Plainfield Avenue in Floral Park after midnight on the way home from a popular pool hall in New Hyde Park Road. Another passenger, Aaron Richardson-Hourie, 16, a sophomore at Floral Park, sustained minor injuries.
To mark the one year anniversary, a memorial service will be held for Kevin, Adingupu and Richardson on June 10 at 10 a.m. at the St. John United Methodist Church, 2105 Stewart Ave., Valley Stream. The McArthurs are also opening their home, 1906 Chelsea St., Elmont, to the community for a celebration of Kevin's life on June 24 from 3 p.m. - 10 p.m.
"He was my only son," said McArthur, also mother to Stacey-Ann, Antoinette and Latyese. "I cry every day. I visit the cemetery each week."
The Floral Park high school community suffered more heartbreak after the crash last June when senior Robert Getschel, a newly minted member of the Floral Park Fire Department who responded to the accident that claimed his classmate's life, died in his sleep the next day. He had heart ailments as a child and had open-heart surgery in 2001.
"We think of Robert, too," McArthur said. "I hope he rests in peace."
McArthur said she hopes the school community will attend the open house to help keep Kevin's memory alive.
Comments about this story? FSeditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 240.
