L.I. SUV belongs to teen vic’s dad
WHAT BEGAN as a teenage joyride to the beach ended with a Long Island dad in deep pain.
Marlon Carbajal, 15, was one of three youths killed Friday in a 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer his father, William, reported was stolen from the family’s Uniondale, L.I., driveway.
“I can’t continue living here,” a devastated William Carbajal told Newsday on the front lawn of his home.
“Whenever I step in the house, I’ll see my son going out of his room ... It’s not going to be easy.”
Killed with Marlon were David Sanchez, 13, and Herbert Leo Avilles-Maravilla, 16, as the SUV with an underaged driver at the wheel fishtailed and flipped on the Meadowbrook Parkway.
Cindy Sanchez, 15, was driving the vehicle — and her 18-monthold daughter, Gael, was among the seven people injured when the SUV skidded into a marsh off the highway. David was the driver’s kid brother.
No charges were immediately brought against Sanchez, although the legal age to get a learner’s permit in New York State is 16.
Witnesses reported the SUV was speeding and driving erratically along the stretch of highway in Freeport before the crash about eight miles short of their sandy destination.
Sanchez was weaving in and out of traffic when the SUV swerved to its left and flipped several times as the teen jerked the wheel to the right, authorities said.
The illegal driver suffered a fractured left elbow and the other passengers received minor injuries in the terrifying 11:42 a.m. crash as the carful of teens headed to Jones Beach.
Except for the toddler, all the injured were between the ages of 13 and 17. Those killed wore no seat belts and were ejected from the vehicle, police said.
Local school officials released a statement of support and offered aid to Uniondale High School students rattled by the deaths of three classmates.
“The Uniondale Free School District is heartbroken over the tragic loss of lives from our community,” said a message from district superintendent William Lloyd.
Grief counselors will be available Monday when students return.
William Carbajal said he was unsure of his son’s role in the car theft. The SUV disappeared from the driveway Thursday afternoon, and the dad reported it stolen that night.