'Our Hearts Are Broken Forever': Dad's Son 1 of 5 Killed in Crash

QUOGUE, NY — Families who lost their sons in Saturday's head-on crash in Quogue are sharing memories of their lives — and crying out for change on a roadway they say is far too dangerous.

Five men died in the crash on Montauk Highway Saturday night, police said.

Justin B. Mendez, 22, of Brookhaven, who was driving a red Nissan Maxima and crashed head-on into a gray Toyota Prius, died at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital a short time later, police said. The driver of the Prius, Farhan Zahid, 32, of Bay Shore, was an Uber driver, and three passengers, Michael O. Farrell, 20, James P. Farrell, 25, and Ryan J. Kiess, 25, all from Manhassett, died at the scene, police said. A fourth passenger, Brianna M. Maglio, 22, of Garden City, remains hospitalized at Peconic Bay Medical Center in critical condition, police said.

Investigators believe excessive speed may have been a factor in the crash, police said.

Kurt Kiess said his son Ryan had been friends with brothers James and Michael since elementary school in Manhasset.

"They lived 200 yards apart; they took the school bus together and were sports teammates, playing lacrosse," he said. His son played lacrosse in high school and college, he said.

"There was a big group of them, the Manhasset High School Class of 2014. The boys were very close, they were always together," he said.

The young men, he said, were all "very caring, not edgy in any sense of the word. They were the first to help you. They just loved music, they loved their friends." And, he said, they enjoyed playing golf together at the North Hempstead Country Club. "They were buddies," Kiess said. "They were the best of friends."

His son met Brianna at the University of Scranton; they both played lacrosse and had been dating for six years, Kiess said. "They were a fantastic couple," he said. Brianna is a neonatal intensive care unit nurse at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, he said.

"We're praying for her," he said.

Saturday night was meant to be a celebration, Kiess said. He and his wife just bought a home in Remsenburg.

"It was our first party. My son was so proud of that house. All of his friends were in the cottage, playing games and dancing," he said. "They helped clean up and then they called an Uber to go dancing. He walked into the living room and got into the car— and that was the last time I saw my son," Kiess said. "You see these things on the news and you say, 'That's somebody else' — and then it becomes your family."

The young people called an Uber to be safe, he said. "They were doing the right thing."

Kiess said thought should be put into redesigning the roadway where the crash took place. He'd heard that the last time a crash took place at the site was years ago, Kiess said. "That's not something to be proud of," he said. "That's ridiculous. It's a curvy road. It shouldn't be that dangerous. The amount of traffic on Montauk Highway has increased over the years." Officials, he said, "need to be more responsible" and address the situation. "It can't help my son but maybe it can help someone else."

His son and his friends, Kiess said, "were all good kids." His son was an accountant at KPMG and had just been promoted. "They were all at the start of their careers, it was unlimited — they had their whole lives in front of them."

Through tears, Kiess said: "Our hearts are broken forever. Our lives will never be the same. We love our son — and we always will."

According to Quogue Village Police, the crash took place at 11:19 p.m. near the intersection of Montauk Highway and Quogue Street (East). A red Nissan Maxima, driven by Mendez, who was alone in the vehicle, was heading west on Montauk Highway when it left its lane of travel and crashed head-on with the Prius with Zahid and his four passengers that was traveling east on Montauk Highway, police said.

“Our thoughts are with the families of Mr. Zahid and the four others who lost their lives in this heartbreaking crash, and we hope the survivor makes a full recovery," an Uber spokesperson told Patch.

Zahid started using the app to drive almost two years ago, Uber said.

The crash is being investigated by Quogue Village Police detectives with the help of New York State Police, Southampton Town Police, and Westhampton Beach Police, authorities said.

Montauk Highway initially remained closed from Old Depot Road in Quogue to Quogue Street (East) while the investigation was underway but was reopened Sunday morning, police said.

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact the Quogue Village Police Department at 631-653-4791.