Update: Police ID victim of fatal crash as Huntington woman
A 23-year-old Huntington woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash on Route 48 in Mattituck Sunday afternoon, according to Southold Town police.
Rebecca Connolly was the passenger in a Honda Civic that was stopped at the intersection of Westphalia Road when a Ford SUV slammed into the rear of the car, police said. Four other people were injured, police said.
The crash occurred at about 4:15 p.m. Sunday.
Police said the driver of the SUV, Richard Morabito, 40, of Orient, was westbound on Route 48, failed to stop for a red light and rear-ended the Civic, driven by John Vincente, 24, of Huntington.
The road was closed for about three hours while detectives conducted an accident investigation. Photos from the scene showed the back of the Civic completely mangled from the impact.
The Mattituck and Cutchogue fire departments and Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported other victims to Peconic Bay Medical Center. One victim was taken via medevac to Stony Brook University Hospital. Updates on the other victims’ conditions were not available.
Southold police and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office are currently investigating. No criminal charges were announced.
A Connecticut native, Ms. Connolly graduated from Bacon Academy before attending Hofstra University, where she graduated in 2018. Her sister, Erin, posted a brief remembrance on Facebook Tuesday, writing: “They say siblings are your best friend, but Rebecca, you were more than that. The bond we had was like no other.”
She wrote how her sister “lit up every room” she walked into and “made people fall in love the minute they met you.”
She added: “Thank you for being the best secret keeper, shoulder to cry on and giving me a reality check whenever necessary.”
Mr. Vincente remained hospitalized Wednesday morning, his sister, Michelle, said. He suffered head trauma with short-term memory loss and is expected to make a full recovery.
Mr. Vincente and Ms. Connolly dated for several years.
“It’s a devastating loss for him,” Mr. Vincente’s sister said.
Correction: Two names provided by police were misspelled. They are Rebecca Connolly and John Vincente.
This post was updated from its original version.