Mets Honor Star Student Athlete Who Died After Horrific Crash

SHOREHAM, NY — The Mets have been wowing fans recently as a red-hot team of young stars sends the team spiraling into a season some say is history in the making.

But no win was perhaps more sweet than on Wednesday night, when the Mets beat the Indians in the 10th inning at Citifield. That's because members of the team were wearing bracelets in honor of Melissa Marchese, a beloved star Shoreham student athlete who died after a horrific crash in June.

Melissa's father Charlie Marchese explained just what the night meant. "Things have been very hard and I struggle daily to get out of bed. This run the Mets have been on has given me a few moments of happiness and excitement in an otherwise dreadful time," he said.

The bracelets worn, he said, honor his daughter; the yellow bracelet has her name on it and the blue bracelet is from "LiveOnNY," an organ donor organization.

Melissa was a registered organ donor. "Melissa has become a hero by giving the gift of life to five people and giving a quality of life to many others through organ and tissue donation. She became a hero," a Facebook post said.

At the game, some of the players including Amed Rosario and also, manager Mickey Callaway wore Melissa's bracelets, her father said.

"Mickey Callaway and the Mets players were awesome," Marchese said. "Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, who is from Patchogue, gave my son Joey a signed pair of cleats. It was an amazing experience."

Friends and supporters cheered as the Mets won the game in a nail biter 10th inning.

"All I could think about was your daughter being at that game," one friend wrote on Facebook. "Mets win in extra is like a sign saying, 'Dad, things are bad but in time will get better.' I thought of her hitting that three-homer game. She will live forever in you and your family."

Hearts were broken far and wide on Long Island as word spread in June that Melissa, a star athlete and senior at Shoreham Wading River High School, had died.

"The Shoreham-Wading River School District community is devastated to learn of the tragic loss of one of our students who was involved in a motor vehicle accident," a post on the Shoreham Wading River Central School District's Facebook page said.

A GoFundMe page, "Our Girl, Melissa Marchese," was initially set up to help defray costs after she was hospitalized following the crash, but an update said that tragically, the high school senior did not survive.

"With a heavy heart, deep sorrow and tremendous regret I write to inform you that Melissa Marchese has gone to be with the Lord," the page said.

Three other people suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash, which, according to Suffolk County Police, took place at 6:50 p.m. on June 13 on Route 25A near Miller Avenue and the Shoreham Plaza shopping center.

(GoFundMe)

Evan Flannery, 17, of Shoreham, was driving a 2007 Hyundai Elantra south on Miller Avenue and was turning left into Route 25A when his car was struck by a 2006 Honda Accord, being driven west on Route 25A by Michael Troiano, 34, of Ridge.

Melissa, 18, of Shoreham, was a passenger in the Hyundai; she was airlifted by a Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital with serious injuries and later died, officials said.

Flannery and another passenger in the Hyundai, Caroline Tyburski, 18, of Shoreham, as well as Troiano were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

According to Newsday, the students were on their way to the high school for a ceremony honoring seniors.

Marchese had been lauded recently for her academic and athletic achievements. In March, the Shoreham Wading River High School winter varsity sports teams were feted at a Board of Education meeting with Marchese honored as an All League member of the girls basketball scholar-athlete team.

Recently, she committed to college sports, signing on to play softball at the University of Hartford; she was also recognized at a June BOE meeting as a New York State Scholar Athlete on the all-division girls softball team.

Friends turned to social media to express their pain and sorrow at the loss of a bright light. "I have been sitting here for hours trying to think of the right words but there are no words that I can say to make any of this better," one wrote.

"May Melissa rest peacefully in God's hands," another said.

The days and months since have been filled with heartbreak. Friends organized a vigil and Melissa was honored at what would have been her high school graduation.

"Today is two months since you were taken from us," her father wrote on Facebook last week. "I see you everywhere. I hear your voice in crowds. I see the signs you send, but the pain is constant. I just want to talk to you and hear you laugh one more time. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep you safe, please forgive me."