Clarkstown North Senior Dies, 3 Clarkstown South Students Hurt In Car Crash

A 17-year-old Clarkstown North High School student was killed and three Clarkstown South High School students were injured Wednesday when the car they were riding in crashed in Orange County, according to school officials and published reports.

Clarkstown Schools Superintendent Margaret Keller-Cogan this morning alerted parents in the district to the death of Dana Sassano of New City, whose mother works as a secretary at West Nyack Elementary School and has siblings who attend North, Felix Festa Middle School and Little Tor Elementary School.

Injured in the crash were Clarkstown High School South students Matthew Molloy, 17, of West Nyack, Matthew Lawson, 17, of West Nyack and Joseph Nugent, 17, of New City. They had been on a skiing trip to Orange County, Keller-Cogan said.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dana's family members at this exceptionally sad time," Keller-Cogan said.

Although school is closed for the holiday break, the Clarkstown school distict has arranged for grief counselors to be available at Clarkstown North High School Friday at 10 a.m. until noon near the principal's office in the mansion. Support will also be available for students on Monday when they return from vacation, Keller-Cogan said.

Clarkstown school board president Phillip DeGaetano said the accident and Sassano's death have stunned the community.

"This is a parent's worst nightmare," said DeGaetano. "This is a tragic, tragic accident. On behalf of the school board and the entire school community, our hearts go out to the Sassano family."

Funeral arrangements were not yet available. Arrangements are being handled by Higgins Funeral Home, 321 S. Main St., New City.

A report by the Times Herald Record of Middletown today said Sassano died in a two-car crash on Route 17A near Greenwood Lake. Police told the newspaper that Sassano and the other teens were in a Toyota Forerunner driven by Nugent when the vehicle went out of control on a steep hill about 9 p.m. and hit a Ford van.

The Forerunner went off the road and down an embankment.

Nugent and Molloy were taken to St. Anthony's Hospital for treatment of minor injuries and Lawson was flown to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla for treatment, according to the published report which also noted that police said no tickets were issued in connection with the accident.