QUOGUE, NY — Days after a head-on crash in Quogue left five men dead and a woman in critical condition, services have been set for two brothers who died together — and a mother left a widow with three young children in desperate need of help.
Justin B. Mendez, 22, of Brookhaven, who was driving a red Nissan Maxima that crashed head-on into a gray Toyota Prius, died at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital a short time later, police said. The driver of the Prius, Farhan Zahid, 32, of Bay Shore, was an Uber driver and three passengers, Michael O. Farrell, 20, James P. Farrell, 25, and Ryan J. Kiess, 25, all of Manhassett, died at the scene, police said. A fourth passenger, Brianna M. Maglio, 22, of Garden City, remains at Peconic Bay Medical Center in critical condition, police said.
According to Kurt Kiess, Ryan's father, Maglio “is showing signs of improvement. There are millions of people praying for her, and it's working.”
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Services are set for brothers James and Michael Farrell. According to Fairchild Sons, Inc. Funeral Chapel: “James Patrick Farrell, Jr. and Michael O'Brien Farrell have fallen asleep in the Lord. They are survived by their loving family, Jim and Ellen Farrell and their brother Steven, and their loving grandmother, Katina Athenaiou ».
The screening will take place on Thursday from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Michael the Archangel Greek Orthodox Church, located at 100 Fairway Drive in Port Washington. The funeral service will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. at Michael the Archangel Greek Orthodox Church, followed by burial at Nassau Knolls Cemetery.
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In lieu of flowers, Jim and Elene Farrell will establish scholarships in James and Michael's memory. Those wishing to donate can check out at the Church of the Archangel Michael. In the memo, write “Farrell Scholarship Fund.”
According to Kiess, no services have yet been set for his son Ryan. “Right now, our focus is on Bree's health and well-being.” Ryan and Brianna had been in a relationship for six years, Kiess said.
Services were held Wednesday for Farhan Zahid in Bay Shore, according to Newsday.
The Uber driver leaves behind a wife, Hifsa Ahmad, and three young children. She set up a GoFundMe page, 'Help Farhan Zahid (Uber Driver) Family', which said of her husband's death: 'I am at a huge loss on how to explain to my children that their beloved father is no longer with him . The children have been asking since Sunday morning when their father arrives, “Why is he still at work? Why isn't he coming?” They don't really understand what is going on since they are so young. Now I am left alone raising my three children, my son Ayaan, 6, my daughter Mishal, 3 and my youngest son Ahaan, 16 months old; he was the closest to his father. My husband was the only source of income for our family.”
He added: “Please help us during this difficult time. Our aim is to raise money for funeral costs as well as living costs. Your help will be greatly appreciated.”
To donate, click here.
Village of Quogue police on Tuesday released more information about a crash Saturday night that left five men dead and a woman in critical condition.
Justin B. Mendez, 22, of Brookhaven, who was driving a red Nissan Maxima and crashed head-on into a gray Toyota Prius near the intersection of Montauk Highway and Quogue Street (East) was found to have an “amount of marijuana” in passenger seat of the vehicle, was seen doing around 55mph in a 30mph zone – and reports suggest he may have switched off his headlights when police began following him, although this has yet to be confirmed , the police announced.
Mendez died at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital a short time later, police said.
Farhan Zahid, 32, of Bay Shore, was the Uber driver and three passengers in the Prius, Michael O. Farrell, 20, James P. Farrell, 25, and Ryan J. Kiess, 25, all of Manhassett, they died at the scene, police said. A fourth passenger, Brianna M. Maglio, 22, of Garden City, remains hospitalized in critical condition, police said.
Investigators believe speeding may have been a factor in the crash, police said.
Answering questions outside the station Tuesday, Village of Quogue Police Chief Christopher Isola said Mendez was traveling west on County Road 80 at a “high rate of speed” when a Village of Quogue police officer spotted him heading east in the other direction . The officer turned around and headed west on Country Road 80, but “was unable to catch up to the vehicle before it collided with the 2010 Toyota Prius driven by Zahid,” Isola said.
Maglio, the sole survivor of the crash, was initially taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center and later transferred to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, where she remains in critical condition. Police have not spoken to her but have contacted her family, Isola said, adding that her health was the first priority.
The crash remains under investigation by Quogue Village Police and New York State Police, as well as the National Transportation Safety Board and the Attorney General's Office. Both agencies are involved because of the number of deaths and also participate in an investigation when any incident with police results in a fatality, Isola said.
Isola said he believes an autopsy and toxicology report has been done on Mendez, but the results are under the jurisdiction of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office and have not been released, he said.
No criminal charges have been filed, Isola said. “We have no defendant,” he added. “We will exhaust all possibilities to determine how this accident occurred.”
It's also unclear if Mendez was texting, but that's one element of the investigation, Isola said.
Suspected marijuana found in Mendez's vehicle preliminary tested positive for cannabis, Isola said.
Describing the chain of events, Isola said the officer was heading east on County Road 80 when he spotted Mendez about 1,000 feet into the Village of Quogue. Mendez was coming from the direction of the Village of East Quogue, heading west and leaving a 30 mph zone for a 40 mph zone, and was also at the point of a “sharp turn” in the roadway.
Evidence shows the officer had a “very brief view” of Mendez's vehicle, but “the officer loses sight very quickly and never catches up,” he said. Accident reconstruction will ultimately determine how fast Mendez was driving, but radar and a visual estimate show he may have been going 55 mph coming from the 30 mph zone, Isola said.
“The officer observed him driving at a high rate of speed, along with some witnesses,” Isola said. “There may be some indication that he turned off his headlights.”
A witness report indicates that Mendez turned off his lights when he saw the officer following him, but that has not been confirmed, Isola said. The officer did not “chase” Mendez, but followed him and flashed his flashing lights because Mendez “was way ahead,” Isola said.
When asked if that stretch of road is dangerous or a “death trap,” as some have suggested on social media, Isola said the Montauk Freeway has many sharp turns. “It's a rural road, not that well lit. There are markings and warning signs and the speed limits, in some areas, drop to 30mph. Many of our corners cannot be safely navigated without slowing down, which is indicated by Whatever turn you make, you have to pay attention to the safe navigation of the turn,” Isola said.
The crash site “is not a hotspot,” Isola said. While there was a double-fatality crash in 1997 at the other end of the same intersection, Isola said there have been accidents at several points. “I would say this is not a problem area,” he said.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone ordered a traffic study on the county road, Isola said. In addition, there is signage that can be moved throughout the village. on Monday, a new sign was posted to warn drivers to slow down at the spot, he said.
“This was a tragic incident,” Isola said. “Our hearts go out to all those who lost loved ones and to the first responders and all those who responded to this tragedy.”
Heartbroken families left behind after five people were killed in a head-on crash in Quogue Saturday are left praying for the one young woman who survived, searching for answers — and clamoring for safety improvements on the road where their loved ones lost their lives.
Kiess, who lost his son Ryan, 25, in the crash, said the issue of road safety is critical: “The whole city knows about this curve and they haven't done anything about it.”
Kiess suggested that perhaps a concrete Jersey barrier — used to separate lanes of traffic — could help.
“The idea that these are sleepy country towns is gone. That's not it,” Kiess said, adding that the influx of traffic on the roads needs to be addressed.
He had heard the last time an accident happened at the site was years ago, Kiess said. “It's not something to be proud of,” he said. “This is ridiculous. It's a curvy road. It shouldn't be this dangerous. Traffic on Montauk Highway has increased over the years.” Officials, he said, “must be more responsible” and deal with the situation. “He can't help my son, but maybe he can help someone else.”
Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Snyderman said it is “likely” the town will push the state and county for changes, depending on information that emerges about the cause of the crash.
On Tuesday, Quogue Village Police told Patch, “The only contributing factor at this time is speed.”
On Monday night, about 100 grieving friends and relatives gathered at his home to mourn his son and the Farrell brothers who died, Kiess said. “They're devastated. These are young adults who shouldn't have to go through this. They've lost their friend, it's terrible.”
The youths called an Uber to be safe, Kiess said. “They did the right thing.”
His son and his friends, Kiess said, “were all good guys.” His son was an accountant at KPMG and had just been promoted. “They were all early in their careers, it was limitless — they had their whole lives ahead of them.”
Through tears, Kiess said: “Our hearts are broken forever. Our lives will never be the same. We love our son – and always will.”
A GoFundMe page, “GoFundMe for our beloved Justin Mendez,” has also been set up for the Nissan driver by Amanda Tuason. “With the sudden loss of our beloved nephew Justin, son of Aida and Octavio Perez, we are raising funds to help cover funeral expenses and services to help the family,” he wrote.
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