Community remembers two teenagers who died in tragic car crash on Christmas Day
The community is remembering the Hannah Reggio, 17, of Middletown and Joseph Young, 15, of Fallsburg.
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Two young lives were tragically cut short after a car crash in Sullivan County on Christmas Day.
"It's crazy, it's devastating," says Dijha Hernandez, a Sullivan County resident. "It's heartbreaking for the community.
Hannah Reggio, 17, of Middletown and Joseph Young, 15, of Fallsburg, have been identified as the victims. Police say a pickup truck collided with a car near Sullivan Avenue on Route 52. The 57-year-old pickup truck driver was treated for his injuries and released.
"It's just sad. I'm not sure exactly what happened or why it happened, but it's a sad thing," says Dwight Booth, a Woodridge resident.
The community is lighting candles and placing flowers on Sullivan Avenue in Liberty to remember the teens.
"[Joseph] always had a smile on his face, and I just loved that about him. He was a good person, a good soul," says Elliot Hernandez, Young's friend. "I'm doing good, trying to hold in there because there's not much I can do."
Hernandez and Young had been friends since the eighth grade. Hernandez says he will forever cherish the memory of his friend.
"He always supported me," he says.
Friends of Young say they're devastated, especially since Thursday would have been his 16th birthday.
Reggio was a student in the Middletown School District.
School officials have released a statement saying in part, “Hannah touched many lives and her absence leaves a deep void in our school community.”
Resources are being made available to students and staff struggling to cope with this loss.
