By Laura Lane
Dustin, 14, was struck by a car and dragged 100 feet before the driver stopped long enough for the boy to be left behind. The still-unidentified motorist then sped away. No one was arrested for the fatal hit-and-run, a tragedy that continues to haunt Dustin's mother, Mary Cariola.
"Even though five years have gone by, it still hurts," said Cariola. "Every time I hear a siren or screeching brakes, it gets to me."
The Merrick Park Home Owners Association funded the memorial for Dustin, who died Aug. 10, 2001. Temporarily, the memorial has been placed at the entrance to the Town of Hempstead parking lot on Hewlett Avenue, off Sunrise Highway.
Originally, the plan was to build the memorial -- three cement Grecian urns filled with silk flowers and three wooden posts standing directly behind them, each bearing a plaque commemorating Dustin -- on Merrick Avenue, near the Long Island Rail Road escalators. But LIRR officials objected, saying that people use the flower pots near the escalators as ashtrays. Officials worried that a fire might break out if silk flowers were added to the memorial.
Not wanting to delay the memorial any longer, Barry Fox, president of the Merrick Park Home Owners Association, decided to move forward with it at a temporary location. He said Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr., a Republican of Merrick, would try to obtain permission from the LIRR to erect the memorial in the intended spot, which is a few feet from where Dustin died.
"Speeding and drunk driving were the reasons for this tragedy," said Fox. "We had [the memorial] built to acknowledge Dustin's death and institute change to prevent this from happening again. Every time you cross Sunrise Highway, you're playing Russian roulette."
Fuschillo, Assemblyman David McDonough and Hempstead Town Councilwoman Angie Cullin attended the ceremony. "Today is a reminder of how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken away," said Fuschillo. "People will know this is a special memorial for a special kid, and in our busy day as we pass it, we should pause and give a kiss to those we love."
Cariola stood nearby with her daughter, Jamie Freda, 23, and Mary's father, Robert Cariola. Clutching the last photo taken of her son, she looked on, visibly shaken.
"Our family is very touched by all of this, and on behalf of them, I'd like to thank everyone responsible and all of you wonderful people who remember Dustin," said Robert. "It's a sad situation, but what happened here now brings it up to a higher level. We are all blessed by this dedication."
Boy Scout James O'Donnell, 17, of Bellmore Troop 285, took charge of cleaning up the area for the memorial, as well as erecting the poles and filling the flower pots for his Eagle Scout project. O'Donnell never knew Dustin, but was grateful to have helped with the memorial. And even though he'd only met Mary Cariola once, he was happy to be a part of something that would comfort her.
"It's nice to be able to do something nice for someone you don't know, being able to make a difference," said O'Donnell. "I've always enjoyed helping people."
Fox said he would like to have cameras installed on Sunrise Highway so that tickets could be issued to those who speed and hurry through traffic lights. He added that he would like to have the road's speed limit lowered to 40 mph as well.
"This memorial is part of our campaign to make our streets safer," said Fox. "And the memorial will remind other children not to try to run across Sunrise Highway."
Several of Dustin's friends attended the memorial. They had visited his mother on the evening of Aug. 10. "Fifty-two kids came to my door; they didn't forget," said Cariola. "It so touched my heart that I cried. They said they loved me, and it totally blew me away. Then we all walked over to the corner where Dustin died and held a candlelight vigil like we've done for the past four years."
The young people who came to the memorial in tribute to their fallen friend are now leading different lives than they did when Dustin died, either attending college or working. They said they would never forget Dustin. "I miss his smile," said Emily Deissler, 18. "He held our group together."
"He was friends with everybody and made everybody happy," said Amanda Bowker, 19. "He always had a witty joke to tell."
Comments about this story? LLane@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
