Memorial held for Middletown woman killed in Bronx crash

More than 100 people gathered Monday night for a memorial for Jennifer Parisella, a 30-year-old Middletown woman who was killed in a crash in the Bronx this past weekend.
The Little League ballpark setting was intentional. Parisella was a volunteer board member for the Middletown Little League. Friends say she was passionate about the players and helping all children.
Mourners honored Parisella with candles and prayer. Friends describe her as a vibrant woman who worked for her family's farm.
Parisella was reportedly on her way to deliver produce in New York City when she rear-ended a truck on the Major Deegan Expressway. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her three passengers were her 14-year-old stepdaughter and 12-year-old stepson, who both play for Middletown Little League, and her 28-year-old brother.
All were taken to hospitals in the Bronx. The 14-year-old slipped into a coma, and friends say she is pulling out of it.
Friends say Parisella considered her stepkids her own and was tireless in trying to help others, especially children in the Middletown community. They didn't know Parisella was five months pregnant when she died, but they say she wanted a biological child of her own for years.