Roslyn Students Turn Grief Into Action After Tragedy, Honor Friends With Anti-Drunk Driving Walk

ROSLYN, NY — After the tragic loss of two friends, two Roslyn students channeled their mourning into a powerful display of solidarity to raise awareness about drunk driving and make a difference in their community.

Ethan Falkowitz and Drew Hassenbein, both 14-year-old students at Roslyn Middle School, were killed after a crash on the evening of May 3, 2023, the Nassau County District Attorney's office said. A Roslyn man pleaded guilty after he was accused of crashing into a car that contained four teenagers, while he was driving over the speed limit and was intoxicated and high on cocaine, the NCDA's office said.

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Summer Rosenblum and Marielle Streiner, juniors at Roslyn High School and members of the Students Against Destructive Decisions club, were close friends with the two boys.

"We felt a responsibility to turn our grief into something meaningful by raising awareness about the dangers of drunk driving," Summer and Marielle told Patch.

In a heartfelt effort to raise awareness, the pair co-organized a student-led 2nd Annual Drunk Driving Community Awareness Walk held on April 18 at East Hills Park.

"Our community has endured a tragedy that no one should ever have to experience," Summer and Marielle said. "By hosting this walk and raising awareness about this issue, we hope to save lives and honor the legacy of Drew and Ethan. Always remember: 'Stay Alive, Don't Drink and Drive.'"

More than 125 community members, friends, and family members attended – sporting red – to support the cause. Before the walk, guest speakers shared the dangers of drunk driving, the importance of prevention, and personal tragedies relating to the cause, including Summer and Marielle, Ethan's father, Gary Falkowitz, A Mothers Against Drunk Driving representative, Paige Carbone, and more dedicated folks.

"We hope that people become more educated on how to prevent drunk driving and how serious this issue really is," Summer and Marielle said. "We hope that people will spread this message to others and influence others to make responsible choices behind the wheel."