Counseling, condolences after Babylon teen killed in crash

Leaders of three school communities mourning the death of a Babylon teen in a crash that injured four others and killed a Lindenhurst man are offering counseling and support services to students and staff so "no one grieves alone."

Riley Goot, 18, a 2024 graduate of West Babylon High School, was killed, along with Michael Desmond, 33, of Lindenhurst, in the two-vehicle crash shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Great East Neck Road in West Babylon, Suffolk police said.

Goot, along with two other recent West Babylon High graduates and another teenager, were passengers in a 2025 Kia Seltos driven by a 17-year-old female, according to police. Desmond drove a 2017 Kia sedan through a red light and collided with the Seltos, police said in a news release Saturday. Desmond was pronounced dead at the scene.

Medical staff at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip pronounced Goot dead.

The Kia driver is a senior at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School, according to a letter Sunday from school officials to the school community.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with [the student], her family, and all those affected by this tragic event," Principal Vincent Albrecht wrote in the letter. "We entrust them to the healing power of Christ and the intercession of the Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Sorrows, during this time of profound sorrow."

In a message Saturday to the West Babylon schools community, Superintendent Yiendhy Farrelly called the crash a "heartbreaking tragedy."

"We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends impacted by this tragedy," Farrelly wrote. "Our hearts break alongside theirs as they face this unimaginable loss."

The superintendent described Goot as a "promising" young man with "bright hopes for the future."

The school district will offer counseling and support Monday and encouraged community members to reach out if they knew of others who "could benefit from speaking to someone during this difficult time."

"We are here to ensure no one grieves alone," the letter reads.

Another passenger in the Kia is a senior at St. Anthony's High School in Huntington, which offered "prayers and thoughts" for the student and his family.

"All of us at Saint Anthony's continue to pray for all involved in this tragic accident," read a letter from St. Anthony's Principal Brother David Anthony Migliorino.

Suffolk police said Desmond drove the sedan east on Railroad Avenue through a red light at 1:06 a.m. and collided with the Seltos as it headed south on Great East Neck Road.

The driver and two other passengers, both 18 and 2024 graduates of West Babylon High School who live in Babylon, were transported to Good Samaritan for treatment of serious injuries. The hospital did not respond to a message Sunday seeking an update on their injuries or if they remained hospitalized.

The St. Anthony's student, a 16-year-old from West Babylon, was transported to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore with serious injuries. Migliorino said the teen had surgery and remains hospitalized.

At least one of the injured teens is a new member of the West Babylon Fire Department, according to fire district records.

Department 1st Assistant Chief William Allen said he was the incident commander at the scene of the crash.

Allen declined to discuss specifics involving any of the individuals involved in the crash. He acknowledged the challenges volunteers face responding to such a collision in their communities.

"We are united as a department, and we are there for each other, as we always are," Allen said.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.