West Babylon teen to pitch in Sunday game dedicated to lost friends after surviving car crash 

When Anthony Pagliuca takes the pitching mound Sunday, it will come months after his family, coaches and doctors didn’t know if he would survive a September car crash — let alone throw a baseball.

Doctors described Pagliuca, a 17-year-old St. Anthony’s High School senior, as "on the brink of death" after he was pulled from the wreckage of a car crash that killed two of his friends in West Babylon. He was flown to Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park and stayed there for two months, undergoing multiple surgeries for traumatic brain injury.

Through rehab to regain his strength and memory, Anthony returned to St. Anthony’s in South Huntington in December to resume classes and rejoin the baseball team last month as a relief pitcher.

"His recovery is nothing shy of a miracle," said Dr. Matthew Harris, a pediatric emergency medical physician and medical director of Cohen’s critical care transport team, who supervised the lifesaving flight to the largest children’s trauma center in the region.

"He didn’t just survive, he’s thriving," Harris said. "He’s not just walking and talking, he’s throwing a curveball."

Anthony was riding in the back of a Kia Seltos with four other teens just after 1 a.m. Sept. 21, when their car was struck by another driver who ran a red light in West Babylon. The crash critically injured Anthony and killed the driver of the Kia, Bella Trezza, 17, and another passenger, Riley Goot, 18, both of Babylon.

The crash also killed Michael Desmond, 33, of Lindenhurst, the other driver of another Kia who police said ran the red light at Great East Neck Road and Railroad Avenue.

Sunday will mark what Anthony worked for — recovering and going on to be a starting pitcher for the St. Anthony's Friars against his hometown team at West Babylon High School in a game where he will also pay tribute to his friends lost in the crash that rocked the West Babylon community.

He’ll be joined on the field with his two friends who survived the crash, Jack Murphy and Bella’s brother Austin Trezza, who will carry photos of Riley and Bella to the mound.

"It's not really about winning or losing, it’s about getting back, just enjoying the moment and being with everyone," Anthony said before throwing with his team Wednesday during a game at St. John the Baptist in West Islip. "I'll remember this for a long time and pray for them every day. I think about them every day."

Anthony’s mother, Keri Pagliuca, said she arrived at the crash site before her son was identified. Volunteer firefighters passing along his photo eventually told her he was taken to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore. Doctors then said he needed to be airlifted to Cohen Children’s.

"When I got to the crash site I could see the devastation of the cars. Until I saw him, I was frantic," she said. "We didn’t know who was alive and who wasn’t."

Anthony suffered a severe brain injury, a fractured neck and broken pelvis in the crash, and at first, his family didn’t know if he would survive. He was intubated on a ventilator through October while his family didn’t know the extent of his brain injury and if he would wake up from a weekslong coma.

Keri Pagliuca credited her son’s doctors with saving his life. Anthony still doesn’t remember anything about the crash or that night. When he awoke, his family had to tell him that his friends died in the crash.

"The fact that any of them survived the crash is unbelievable," Keri Pagliuca said. "I try to say to myself, he’s here and he’s going to prom and graduate. I think it’s nothing short of remarkable. There are so many what-ifs replaying in your mind and I tell him you’re here for a reason. You got a second chance in life, and you have to do your best for Bella and Riley."

Anthony sat on the bench joking with friends before the game started Wednesday, stronger and looking forward to going to SUNY Oneonta to study sports management.

His coaches and his teammates visited him every day during his recovery and rehab in New Jersey to ensure he "always had a friar" teammate in his room, St. Anthony's Baseball Coach Paul Parsolano said.

Sunday’s game will allow the West Babylon community to remember those lost in the crash and begin healing, assistant coach Greg Naccari said.

"Anthony is a walking miracle and so lucky and blessed he’s still here with us and he has an opportunity to play baseball," Naccari said. "This is what we prayed for, and this is God’s work in real life."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.