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Middletown teenagers killed in car accident
Daniel A. Roman, 17, and Matthew Crosby, 16, were on their way to meet friends when the accident happened.
01:00 AM EDT on Monday, July 5, 2004
BY ROB MARGETTA
Journal Staff Writer
PORTSMOUTH -- Two Middletown High School students were killed when their car struck a utility pole on East Main Street late Saturday night.
The Portsmouth police refused to release the teenagers' names, gender, addresses, or ages, saying they could confirm only that two people died in a crash on East Main at about 9:45 p.m., Saturday. They would not comment on the cause of the accident.
But friends of the teens, who left flowers and messages at the scene, said the victims were 17-year-old Daniel A. Roman, of 95 Orchard Ave., and Matthew Crosby, of Centre Avenue. The teenagers had been driving to a friend's house, they said.
The car crashed across from St. Mary Church, in front of the Glen Acres condominium complex. Scott Thursby, who lives a few hundred feet from the crash site, said he ran outside after hearing a loud bang.
The car was on its side, he said.
Thursby pointed out skid marks that end about 25 feet from the pole.
About six inches of packed dirt covers the curb, creating a foot-high barrier, which Thursby said likely acted as a ramp for the car.
He said it appeared that the car hit the pole with its roof.
David Frishman 67, said he went outside after hearing the impact and losing power. The car was wrapped around the utility pole, he said.
"This is the worst accident I could imagine," he said.
Bruno Azevedo, 18, of West Main St., in Portsmouth said Roman and Crosby were headed to his house.
Roman finished his shift at Olympia Sports, in Middletown, and picked up Crosby, Azevedo said.
"We stayed at my house for a long time waiting, then we went out," Azevedo said.
Later, one of the friends received a call about the crash. At 4 a.m. yesterday, friends went to Roman's home to comfort his mother, Judith.
The loss was especially hard on Judith Roman and her other son, Miguel A. Roman Jr., because Miguel A. Roman Sr. -- Judith's husband -- died of cancer in 2000 at 40.
"Judy's a strong woman," Azevedo said. "We just wanted to give her any support we could."
Roman and Crosby's friends tied flowers to a utility pole at the site and covered the pole with messages to the boys. The ground was littered with cards.
"They were just great people," said Cliff Raistrick, 17. "Dan was always there when you needed him and Matt was this outgoing, funny, always polite kid."
Roman, who would have been a senior, and Crosby, who would have been a sophomore, played for the Middletown High School football team, Raistrick said. He said Roman played trombone in the school band.
Roman's car, a 1998 Volkswagon Jetta, was one of his favorite possessions, Azevedo said.
"He was so exited. He just got a new exhaust system and he was putting new 17-inch rims on it," Azevedo said.
Jess Barrow tied a bunch of yellow flowers to the utility pole and shared a hug with four friends.
"Only the good die young," she said. "Everybody loved them."