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East Islip High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions club, led by adviser Bridget Lopiccolo, hosted its annual SMASHED press conference on June 12, helping to spread the message of “Arrive Alive – Don’t Get SMASHED.” As in prior years, Bang Towing and Gershow Recycling provided the sobering sight of a devastating collection of destroyed vehicles arrayed in front of the school.

Guests included State Sen. Alexis Weik; Krupa Lauricella, the assistant to Town of Islip Councilman Jim O’Connor; Allstate Insurance agent Steve Foray; Bang Towing representative Steve Vogel; and Suffolk County police officers Pete Rivera and John Wright. Participating SADD members were Julianna Azzizzo, Deanna Bentrewicz, Steven Foray, Anna Franchi, Rachel Furey, Florence Gonzalez, Abigail Lemke, Ruelin Man-Martinez, Giana Mosca, Kaylee Norton, Harmoney Rocco, Gabriella Smith, Sarah Starr, Antonia Tuck and Jenny Zheng.

“East Islip’s SADD club is committed to sending a strong message to our student body that we want them to think about paying attention as they drive,” Lopiccolo said. “This program has been in existence for many years at East Islip through SADD and it is more important than ever to send the message that the 100 Deadliest Days cannot be ignored. We need to make sure our students are reminded that graduation, prom and all the other events are wonderful, but we don’t want one of our students losing a life due to lose a life due to poor decisions like distracted driving, drunk driving, aggressive driving or driving under the influence of drugs.”  

“These smashed vehicles behind us there are a perfect example of what really can happen,” Foray said. “People are just driving too fast. They’re not paying attention to what they’re doing when they're driving, and when you are driving, you have to dedicate 100% attention. It’s exciting to become a new driver, but one of the biggest things that you have to realize is when you’re behind the wheel of that vehicle, it's actually like a weapon and is very destructive at times. So, get the word out to all your friends, family and peers, and do what’s best.”

“It’s a great honor to be here today, surrounded by our youth – our future – who care enough and understand how incredibly important it is to slow down, and to carry this message to their peers to make sure that everyone understands,” Sen Weik said. “Whether you’re a student or a new driver or a parent, it’s important that you always have a designated driver if you’re celebrating, and that if you're rushing around from place to place, to slow down. It's not going to make that much of a difference. The phone and the texting can wait. Get where you need to go. Driving is a full-time job, and you have to be aware of your surroundings, especially at this time of year, when the weather is beautiful and everyone’s having fun and your mind is someplace else. You want to make sure that you're paying attention to the road and make sure that everybody has the opportunity to arrive alive.”

Date Added: 6/20/2023